Dangerous Attraction
by WolfintheSheep
Summary: AU. They say opposites attract, but this time it's more like a head-on collision. Will Sui-Feng learn to lighten up, or will Yoruichi finally get serious?
1. Life Sucks

Staring up at the ceiling, eyes red from the lack of sleep, the young woman prayed to every god she'd ever heard of that the creaking and thumping coming through the thin ceiling was _not_ what she thought it was. Apparently, she wasn't on their good side that morning, because soon she was forced to listen to the passionate screams and moans of two inconsiderate jerks humping like bunnies at the crack of dawn. Swearing heavily, she grabbed her pillow and pressed it tight against her head, desperately trying to block the sounds from her ears. It was only ten seconds later when the feathery-soft object was flung across the room, the girl finally accepting the fact that she wouldn't be getting any more sleep soon. Sitting up abruptly, ignoring the deeply sagging box-spring mattress underneath her and the thin sheets slipping off her bare shoulders, she scowled with bleary-eyes at nothing in particular, wondering which spiteful deity she had pissed off enough to warrant such a terrible start to her day.

Working the night shift had been bad enough, considering that it was midnight before she'd finally gotten home, but the assignments that had been waiting for her meant that she didn't get to sleep 'till well past three. She'd been counting on at least five hours of sleep before she had to go to her classes, but she hadn't been planning on listening to a duet from the horny bastards in the apartment above her. Still muttering curses under her breath, she pulled herself up and dragged her feet toward the bathroom. Ignoring the cold bite from the peeling linoleum floor, she hunched herself down against the sink, glaring at her reflection in the mirror.

Her cloudy-grey eyes were bloodshot with heavy bags beneath them, an irritating and unneeded reminder that she was tired as hell. Her hair looked a mess, sticking out in various directions and hanging well below her waist. She probably could've made it look decent with a good haircut, but the best she could do for now was braid it up like she normally did. Running a finger through the long strands, it occurred to her that she hadn't showered since two days ago, and with a reluctant sigh turned to the tub beside her, tentatively stepping in and sliding the curtain closed. Crossing her fingers she, slowly turned the handles for the showerhead, moderately pleased that she actually heard water flowing through the pipes – until it started to pour down on her.

"Holy-god-damned-son-of-a-!" she screamed as the icy cold water came streaming out. At least she wasn't tired any more. Knowing that things wouldn't be getting better any time soon she quickly started to scrub herself clean, doing her best to avoid getting frostbite.

Three minutes later, she was curled on the bathroom floor with a towel cocooned around her, shivering away as she tried to goad some warmth back into her appendages, wondering how her day could possibly get any worse than it already was.

"FON!" a voice bellowed from the front door. The girl tried to swear again, but nearly bit her tongue as her teeth were still chattering away. "Get yer ass out here, Fon, I heard you in there!"

"F-f-ucking h-hell," Sui-Feng stammered, "G-GIVE M-ME A M-MINUTE!"

Still not sufficiently thawed, she tried to stay steady as she stood up, then hobbled to the stack of clothes she had piled in the corner of the tiny apartment. Pulling on a heavy, black sweater and a pair of jeans as quickly as she could with shaking hands, she hurried to the door and swung it open to talk to her landlord.

"You owe me rent," the big man stated flatly, tiny flecks of spit splashing Sui-Feng's face as he talked. She resented everything about the oaf, from the massive gut that spilled out of his grease-stained shirt, to the stubby hands that were either shovelling junk food into his gaping hole of a mouth or shoved up his nose. The oil-slicked hair that made the man look like an overgrown baby, and his miniscule brain had somehow gotten the idea that he was better than she was. It was a real shame that he was still intelligent enough to warrant charges of manslaughter.

"I don't have it," Sui-Feng reluctantly admitted, and grimaced at the sneer that appeared on the brute's face.

"Well ain't dat a problem," he slurred out, leaning in close enough that she could smell his disgusting breath, "Far's I remember, you missed last months rent too."

Sui-Feng flinched. She'd been hoping he'd be stupid enough to forget that.

"Well, if you ain't got da cash, then I guess you'd betta start packing…" he started.

"I get my pay check today," she said quickly, lying on the spot. He seemed startled, looking vaguely suspicious as he eyed her. Finally he nodded gruffly and grunted.

"You'd betta," he said with finality, and stomped off down the hall.

"And fix the goddamn water heater, Omaeda!" she yelled back with false bravado, slamming the door shut. Leaning back against it she breathed a sigh of relief, but soon returned to panic. Her last few pay checks had all gone into food and tuition fees, and all that was left was pocket change. It would be a week before she got paid again, and even that bumbling idiot wouldn't be stalled for that long. She could always ask for an advance, but doubted that she'd have much success.

Slumping down to the floor, her eyes wandered over the hellhole of an apartment she lived in. The pathetic floral wallpaper was either peeling or faded, and the walls behind them littered with patchy repair jobs. The rough rug under her feet felt like sandpaper to her skin and probably hadn't been cleaned properly in decades. The only furniture in the room was the rickety old bed that felt like it would break under the slightest weight and a rotting coffee table that she'd found thrown in a ditch. The bathroom wasn't much better, with a tiny cracked mirror, a shower that only worked half of the time, and a toilet with pipes that were starting to rust over. Even the lights hadn't worked in over three months, the wiring having shorted out soon after she'd come to the place.

It was a pathetic dump, and unfortunately the only place she had a hope of affording – though apparently not for long. Nineteen years old, and her life already felt like it was barely holding together. Many girls her age would have broken down crying in her situation - Sui-Feng just wished there was something in the place that was worth breaking.

* * *

The small Chinese girl whipped through the streets, her twin braids trailing behind her as she weaved through crowds. Her classes had ended a little later than expected but she still had time to get to the restaurant, especially if she ran all the way there. There wasn't much Sui-Feng liked about her body – she was short, skinny, plain-looking, and her chest was several sizes too small – but she could at least take pride in the fact that she was meticulously fit. Her muscles were well toned, without a bit of excess weight, and running a few miles every day had become commonplace and effortless. It was just a shame that her athleticism was out of necessity and not choice. A car wasn't even a remote possibility for her, and public transportation was more a luxury than anything else, so the only thing left was her own legs to carry her everywhere.

Breathing a little heavier as she jogged down the last block, she finally came to a stop in front of a small diner. It wasn't much to speak of, in terms of food and customers, but the pay was decent with tips, the hours were flexible enough for her to work six days a week and still go to college, and most importantly no one cared if she grabbed some food during her breaks. She'd worked there for about six months; her current record for holding down a job. Entering the building she glanced at the wall-clock, seeing that it was ten-to-five. The dinner rush hadn't begun yet, and she still had ten minutes until her shift started, so with any luck she could still get a sandwich and appease her aching stomach for the next few hours. As she hurried to the backroom to change into her uniform, she heard a voice yell out to her from the kitchen.

"Nice to see you on time, Fon!" the restaurant manager said, and the girl cringed a little. The last few days she'd had to detour a few streets because of construction, and ended up arriving a few minutes late. The boss wasn't that bad, really, and he was a lot better than some of the assholes she'd had to take orders from, but if there was one thing he cracked down on it was showing up on time. She quickly turned to him, bowing stiffly.

"Yes sir, I try to follow your advice, sir," she said crisply. She'd learned within days that the manager had a bit of an ego as well, and the easiest way to get him off her back was to stroke it a little. Sure to form, he only glared at her for another few moments before nodding his head in approval.

"Just make sure you keep it up," he advised before walking back into the kitchen area. Sui-Feng rolled her eyes behind his back then rushed off to get changed.

The first few hours were uneventful, with customers trickling in and out steadily. Even still, Sui-Feng was starting to feel the fatigue kicking in again, culminating from a lack of sleep and a generally overworked body. By the time she got her first coffee break, she was nearly dead on her feet, and slumped down into a chair as soon as she made it to the backroom. One of her coworkers was already there, a tall, silver-haired girl named Isane Kotetsu, and she looked on with genuine concern.

"You don't look so well. Maybe you should take a day off…" she said quietly. Isane was a college freshman like her, going into medical school, and as a result she frequently gave Sui-Feng health advice. The Chinese girl didn't mind it that much, given that it was offered in honest concern without any hidden intent. That pretty much summed up Isane's personality: she was timid, unassertive and generally made no effort to impose herself on anyone, and was, for all intents and purposes, _nice_. As a result, she was one of the few people that Sui-Feng could be around for long periods of time without getting an urge to kill someone.

"I can't afford to skip a day," the worn-out girl answered, closing her eyes as she leaned her head against the rim of her chair, "I'm probably getting evicted soon."

"Sounds tough," the taller girl said in sympathy.

"Take my advice, Isane, suck up to your parents as long as you can. The last thing you ever want to do is deal with this kind of crap."

Not having an answer for that, Isane remained silent, letting Sui-Feng rest herself. However, like always, the more she wanted time to slow down, the faster it seemed to go, and she soon heard someone calling for her.

"Yo, Fon! Two at table four!"

"Yeah, yeah," the raven-haired girl muttered under her breath, pulling herself back to her feet.

* * *

"OK, spill already. Those scratches maybe, but I _know_ that cut on your leg didn't come from one of your little romps."

"As a matter of fact, it did."

"What? Okay, no way I'm letting this go now. _Tell me_ already."

"Well, remember that salesgirl from yesterday?

"The tiny blond that couldn't even speak straight around you? Didn't think she was the type to play rough."

"She wasn't. I'm in her room, and she's naked, sweaty and desperate. I just get her to start panting my name out, when guess who comes barging in."

"Her dad?"

"No. _Boyfriend._"

The taller of the two women threw her head back, cackling like a maniac. A number of passers-by turned to stare, but they weren't paid much heed. When she finally managed to slow her laughter after several minutes, the woman rubbed at her eyes and pressed for the rest of the story.

"So he comes running in swearing at me, swinging a baseball bat around, and the first thing I think of doing is to jump out the window. He follows me out, so then I try jumping a fence and end up cutting my leg, land in a rose bush, and still have to sprint three blocks _shirtless_ before I finally lose him."

This brought on another bought of laughter, and this time the boisterous woman actually had to hold her splitting sides, crouching down low as she almost lost her balance. Her companion was grinning widely as well, always amused by her friend's wild nature.

"I swear Yoruichi, you're the only one that could get into these kinds of messes."

"I aim to please."

Righting herself again, the taller woman reached up to adjust the white bandana on her head, and ran her hand through her wild mess of black hair, still chuckling.

"So what happened to the girl after?"

"Please, Kuukaku, you know I never go back, especially with a pissed off brute wanting to bash my brains in."

The dark-skinned woman smiled broadly, a cheeky expression on her face. Young, beautiful, and filthy rich were the best words to describe Yoruichi Shihoin. Her father had been the head-honcho of a major corporation, and had amassed a fortune in liquid assets along with a large portion of company shares. Her parents had died when she was barely old enough to start remembering them, and she had been their sole heir. Never wanting for anything when she was growing up, always having an easy life and with no one around be strict with her she'd ended up with a completely care-free personality. Twenty-two years old, she was a college student in name only, preferring the social environment far more than the education. She rarely attended lectures, only showing up to chat up a girl that'd caught her eye.

Her friend, Kuukaku Shiba, was very much the same, only differing in her personal vice. While Yoruichi had a penchant for cute girls and one-night-stands, Kuukaku preferred the party life, and was rarely seen at night without a stack of empty bottles around her. Physically speaking, she was just as attractive as her friend, depending on who you asked. With well-defined curves and a very ample bust, there was definitely an appealing side to her, once you could get past the unruly attitude. She'd first met Yoruichi way back in middle school, back when they were far more immature. They'd hit it off immediately, their equally reckless outlooks on life fitting each other well, and had been friends ever since.

They were wandering around the downtown streets aimlessly, Yoruichi's eyes occasionally drifting a short skirt or pretty face. Occasionally some passing men would pause to check the two of them out, a few leering outright, but they were all ignored by both women, one uninterested in males and the other just uninterested.

"So where to?" the taller of the two asked, "Cause I'm starving."

"I feel like trying something new," the chocolate-skinned woman replied, her tone clearly conveying her dual meaning.

"Whatever. Just keep it out of the staff room; I don't want some manager breathing down my neck again."

When no reply came, the black-haired woman turned around, spotting her friend half a block back, her head turned to look across the street. Following her gaze, she saw a small diner, along with a small Chinese waitress who was probably the one to catch her friend's attention.

"What is it with you and the tiny ones?" Kuukaku asked as she walked back.

"I just like 'em cute and adorable," Yoruichi answered with a predatory smirk on her face.

"Well this one looks borderline jailbait."

"Hey, don't worry. I've got an eye for these things."

"That's what they all say, right 'till the handcuffs are on."

"Aw, you worried?"

"Whatever. Just make sure I get to eat this time."

"No problem, I'm not in a rush."

Sauntering across the street, Kuukaku following close behind, the playgirl pushed open the door to the restaurant, a soft chime ringing as she stepped inside. The waitress turned to look, her long braids swaying as she swung around, and Yoruichi's golden eyes met pale-grey. The girl glanced to the side briefly, and then nodded.

"Two?" she asked, speaking clearly and crisply. Yoruichi was a little disappointed, having hoped that the girl was a blusher, but nodded smoothly. Nothing wrong with needing a little effort, it just made the payoff that much more worthwhile. The two women were guided to a booth, and Kuukaku briskly slid into her seat. The dark-skinned woman was slightly more detailed with her movements, making sure to brush by the waitress as she slid into her seat, her bare arms making brief contact with the girl's light skin.

"_Not even a shiver_," she thought, eyeing the young waitress carefully. When the girl handed them the menus Yoruichi made sure to take hers personally, softly caressing the girl's hand with her fingers before accepting the sheet.

"Can I get you something to drink?" the Chinese girl asked levelly, not even hesitating. Figuring that she had to be a little more direct, the playgirl leaned forward a little, letting her low-cut top fall slightly.

"How 'bout something to cool me down," she purred out, smouldering eyes keeping constant contact.

The girl finally caught on, eyeing the beautiful woman in front of her before nodding and walking off.

"Sorry girl, your chances are looking slim right now," Kuukaku murmured, smirking across the table.

"I wouldn't be so sure, I think I've already got this one in the bag," Yoruichi replied, smirking right back.

"Oh, really? Looked to me like you just struck out."

"Care to bet the bill on that?"

The black-haired woman hesitated for a moment, but nodded confidently. Smiling and leaning back in her chair, the playgirl calmly waited. A few minutes later, the waitress came back to their table, sliding two glasses of water in front of them, walking off just as quickly. Kuukaku grinned, thinking that she'd won, but Yoruichi grinned back, slyly lifting up the slip of paper that had been discreetly dropped in her lap. Written across it in neat handwriting was, unmistakeably, a phone number.

* * *

Sui-Feng watched the two women walk out of the restaurant, the flirtatious one giving her a parting wink before she left. Sighing in frustration, she went to clear the table, but was soon smiling when she counted the cash that was left there.

"_Might get enough tips tonight to get the gorilla off my back for a few days," _she thought, pocketing the bills.

It was definitely the worst part of the job, having the damn players trying to pick her up. She'd lost a lot of work because of them – well, more like the broken noses that she'd given them – but eventually she'd found an easy solution to deal with the problem: turns out that the second they got a number they stopped hitting on her. Best of all, they always tipped better when they thought they were getting laid, and that alone made it worth showing a little restraint.

She had to admit, though, there was a certain novelty in having a woman flirt with her, but it hadn't been any less irritating. In fact, it had been more so, since she couldn't stand the damn party-girls with cash to throw around. Chuckling to herself, she briefly imagined the woman calling the number she'd given her. With any luck, that over obsessive narcissist hadn't moved yet.


	2. Don't Ask, Don't Tell

"Mornin', Kuukaku."

Almost spitting out her coffee, the black-haired woman swivelled around in surprise, wondering if her hangover was skewing her hearing. Her eyes told the same story, though, and she sceptically stared at her purple-haired, dark-skinned friend who was walking up to her.

"What the hell managed to get you up so bright and early?"

"Let's just say I got a lot of sleep," Yoruichi answered morosely, pulling up a chair beside her friend. At nine in the morning, there weren't many other students wandering around the college grounds, most either in lectures or still asleep. Seated around a small, circular table in one of the campus' lounge areas, this was probably the closest either of the two would ever get to actually going to their classes. They probably wouldn't have even bothered doing that much, except that Kuukaku lived on residence and Yoruichi came to meet her there – plus there were still college girls left on her list.

"Serious? I thought you would've been up all night with that china doll of yours. What happened?"

"Just…don't ask."

"What? C'mon, if you say it like that then you know I'm gonna keep digging."

"Look, I don't want to talk about it."

"Boyfriend? Foot fetish? Bondage? Was she a guy?"

"Damn it Kuukaku, I said I'm not saying anything."

Another voice interrupted, drifting in from behind the dark-skinned girl. "Now, now, Yoruichi, there's no need to be so secretive."

A young man slipped into a chair beside the two, leaning back casually. His face was half-hidden behind an odd green and white striped hat, and unevenly cut sandy-blond hair stuck out from beneath its rim. That, combined with his pale skin and sloppy manner of dress, gave him the appearance of an eccentric genius – or a bum.

"Don't you start, Kisuke," Yoruichi said with a growl. He just quirked his lips in a playful smile, acting like he didn't understand. No one really knew why Kisuke Urahara hung out with the two young women, himself included, but it had been that way ever since they were kids. While they were rash, reckless, and completely apathetic about any amount of real work, he was actually intelligent and serious about his schooling. Top in his class, perfect GPA, and a brain that put many of his professors to shame, there was no telling how far he would go – provided he could get off his lazy ass first. For the most part, he was happy overachieving at a slow and leisurely pace, which was probably why he was spending the morning teasing his best friend.

The young man was silent for a minute, prompting Yoruichi to glance over at him. When she spotted her purple cell phone held up to his ear she immediately jumped to her feet, realizing that he'd snatched it from her when she hadn't been looking.

"Don't even think about it!" she yelled, trying to snatch to phone back. He just grinned, leaning back in his chair to avoid her swiping hands, while turning up the volume so loud it was audible enough for all three at the table, just in time to hear the line being answered on the other end. The girl froze in apprehension.

'_This is Yumichika Ayasegawa. To whom do I give the pleasure of speaking with my beautiful self?'_

Kuukaku blinked in surprise, then immediately burst into unrestrained laughter, loud enough to draw the attention of everyone around. Yoruichi slumped back into her seat, head banging down against the table. Kisuke took it all in stride, though, starting up a pleasant conversation.

"Well hello there," he said calmly, "You certainly sound like a handsome guy."

'_How kind of you to notice, not everyone can have such a dazzling presence.'_

"Why, I couldn't agree mo –"

"Enough!" Yoruichi cried, finally succeeding in taking back the offending device. She promptly terminated the call, and then proceeded to annihilate her call history from the face of the earth.

"Why didn't you tell us you got a boyfriend?" Kisuke asked, a smirk spread across his lips, "You should let us meet him."

"If you want to live, then never, _ever_ mention this again," she replied, glaring daggers at both of her friends. Kuukaku, who had managed to catch her breath again, looked back with a cocky grin.

"So, wanna explain?" the black-haired woman inquired, making it clear that Yoruichi wasn't going to be able to avoid answering.

"That…was a wrong number," the dark-skinned girl replied vaguely, avoiding eye contact.

"That's it?" Kuukaku asked, but her eyebrows quirked as realization dawned on her, "_That_ was the number you got? Ha! That china doll got you good."

"Yeah, yeah," Yoruichi grumbled, sulking as she rested her chin against the table. What she didn't mention was that she'd spent a good hour the previous evening trying to get a straight answer from the idiot, only to finally realize that he was not related to the Chinese girl and either didn't know her, or couldn't be bothered to remember her. She would have hung up immediately in any other circumstance, except the bastard kept leading her on with his 'I only remember beautiful people' act.

Kuukaku suddenly shoved her hand in Yoruichi's face, her palm opened wide as though she was expecting something. The dark-skinned girl looked up with an eyebrow raised, only to be met with a demanding look.

"Now, if I remember right, we had a little bet…"

* * *

Scribbling away on her notepad, the small Chinese girl diligently listened to her professor, doing her best to understand all the material. It wasn't that she liked the course or anything, especially with the lecturer's tendency to drone, but she still tried to keep herself focused. That was easier said than done, though, because every time the lecture had a brief lull, her mind drifted to a growing list of problems. College was actually the least of her worries, namely because she prioritized it over everything else in her life, which in turn meant that all her assignments had already been completed several days ahead of time.

No, her biggest concern was cash. Thanks to the tips from the previous night, she'd managed to get a few days reprieve from Omaeda's threats, but he would be expecting the full rent soon. Work was a problem in that regard since there was no way in hell she would get an advance in her pay, which had been made painfully clear the previous night. The weekend was coming up, meaning she would be pulling double shifts the next couple of days, so if enough customers came in and she saved every penny, it was possible she'd have enough to pay off the previous month's rent. Of course, if all her money went into that, another big problem arose…

Her stomach chose that moment to gurgle in protest, complaining that she'd skipped out on breakfast and lunch, and Sui-Feng grimaced a little. Friday just happened to be the one day in the week that she wasn't working, and there was no way she'd be able to sneak a free meal without that excuse.

The professor came to the end of his lecture, and Sui-Feng jotted down the final notes before packing her things up. Sighing heavily, she slouched down in her seat and rubbed at her tired eyes, not feeling very motivated to leave the class in a hurry.

"_I've still got three years to go,"_ she thought pessimistically. Well, if worst came to worst she could always sacrifice her pride and mooch off some friends for a little while. With that disturbingly uplifting insight, she finally clambered out of her seat, leaving the lecture hall. As she walked down the hallways to her next class, a voice called out from behind her.

"Wait up, Sui-Feng!"

Swinging her head around, she was surprised when she saw that it wasn't someone looking to skin her alive.

"Hey, Isane. What's up?"

"Well, there's this party tonight…"

* * *

"Still moping? Don't tell me you're actually hung up on that girl," the busty, wild-haired woman pried when she noticed her friend's serious demeanour. They were sitting in Yoruichi's car, driving through the streets and evening traffic.

"Don't be ridiculous," Yoruichi answered, "I've just got a bad aftertaste. I swear, if I ever see that bastard in person…"

"I'm sure he'd drive you crazy the moment he started talking," Kuukaku laughed, "At least we've got a party to go to, that oughta kick some life back in you."

"No kidding. I've have to make up for lost time, too," Yoruichi said, finally breaking into a grin. While college parties were already wild enough, the two women still managed to be over the top. For the dark-skinned lady-killer, this usually meant trying to set a personal record for broken hearts. For Kuukaku, it meant waking up the following afternoon in someone's backyard with her head feeling like it was going to split open.

"Jesus, you just can't keep your hands to yourself, can you?" the black-haired woman said, grinning when her friend agreed wholeheartedly. However, the smile quickly became more sinister when she was struck by inspiration. Yoruichi caught the wicked smirk from the corner of her eye, and scowled back.

"I've seen that look way too many times today," she muttered as she weaved through the slower traffic, not even wanting to guess what her running through the brash woman's head. Kuukaku let her know anyway.

"I bet you couldn't do it," she said, with a taunting manner.

"Do what?"

"Keep your hands to yourself - for the entire night."

"…and why would I ever want to do that?"

"Absolutely no reason, unless you want me walking all over your pride for the next month."

"And what makes you think I care?"

Kuukaku cleared her throat, and then tried her best to impersonate a certain pretentious ass. "Well then, you're certainly welcome to worship my beauteous perfection –"

"Alright, I get it!" Yoruichi growled. She could definitely do without a continuous reminder of the freak of nature, and was irritated that such a lame threat was actually effective. Of course, accepting the bet would mean that she'd be torturing herself for the entire night, which was probably exactly what Kuukaku had intended.

"Fine, I accept," she grumbled out finally. The black-haired girl looked ready to gloat, but Yoruichi kept talking. "But on one condition: you're staying sober the entire night."

"What?"

"C'mon Shiba, you can dish it but you can't take it?"

Mulling for a minute, Kuukaku finally nodded her head.

"So then," Yoruichi said, "What are the stakes?"

* * *

The playgirl growled in frustration, gulping down half of her bottle in one go. This was the first party that she could remember where she wasn't having a good time, and that included the time that she'd hit on the girl that had turned out to be anything but. Glaring from her corner, she openly stared at the girls dancing to the heavy music, their nubile figures swaying and grinding – and then made eye contact with Kuukaku across the room. The black-haired woman looked just as disgruntled as her, having spent the last hour chatting with acquaintances without a drop of alcohol in her system, but her smirk said that she thought Yoruichi was ready to crack soon. Lifting her beer tauntingly, the purple-haired girl felt a distinct pleasure in watching her friend pale and squirm.

All things considered, she thought she had the better end of the deal. After all, if things got too bad she still had the option of drinking herself to oblivion – and when an extremely short skirt passed directly through her sightline, that choice suddenly seemed very appealing. Emptying her bottle, she got up to get another, pushing her way through several bodies on her way to the cooler – and stopped when she recognized a very familiar pair of long, black braids. Squeezing her way through an extremely touchy couple, she found her gaze meeting pale-grey eyes once again, wondering if she was extremely lucky or very cursed to meet the Chinese girl for the second time in twenty-four hours.

The girl, slumped in a beanbag chair and hiding in the corner, looked irritated that someone was staring so overtly at her, but immediately froze like a deer in headlights when recognition hit her. Then she started looking irritated again.

"Just can't get a break, can I?" she growled out. Given the din around them, that Yoruichi had actually heard her was clearly intentional.

"You don't look happy to see me," the dark-skinned woman said, sporting a slanted smile.

"You think? Most _men_ get the hint after the phone number."

Yoruichi couldn't help but laugh; the girl definitely had some attitude on her.

"You know, a simple 'fuck off' would have been preferable."

"Fine. Fuck off."

Laughing again, Yoruichi dropped down to the ground, taking a seat on the floor beside the Chinese girl.

"See, now wasn't that easier?" she asked, grinning. The girl just rolled her eyes, taking a drink from the bottle in her hand.

"Damn it," the girl grumbled out, "Look, why don't you just take your bullshit somewhere else, 'cause I'm not interested."

Yoruichi was unfazed. "You know, you'd be a lot cuter if you stuck with the polite waitress act."

"And you'd be a lot more tolerable if you dropped dead."

"So you say," the dark-skinned woman said coyly, "But I noticed you haven't tried to get away either."

The Chinese girl didn't hesitate as she stood up, and was about to start walking away, if not for a tight grip on her wrist. Tensing up and growling dangerously, she turned back to the woman who was still seated on the floor, looking like she was ready to break the offending hand.

"Let me make it perfectly clear to you," she snarled, "There is absolutely no way in fucking hell I'm going to be your little fling for the night."

"Exactly," Yoruichi answered smoothly, not even flinching. The response caught the girl by surprise, and she relaxed ever so slightly.

"Huh?"

"You're in luck, because for this night only I've made a solemn vow of chastity," the dark-skinned woman said playfully, then chuckled when the Chinese girl lifted an eyebrow, and elaborated further. "I made a bet, so I'm sleeping alone and frustrated tonight."

"…so what the hell do I have to do with that?"

"Well, the way I see it, there're two ways I'm getting through this. One is to drink my ass off 'till I'm unconscious and abstinent, but I can't say what'll happen between then and now. The second option is to hang around you all night, with a guarantee that I'll get my ass kicked if I start getting desperate. Since I'll probably get the same amount of head trauma either way, sticking with you seems like a much more entertaining choice."

Blinking as she processed the older woman's reasoning, the smaller girl couldn't help but feel suspicious. "And why should I even believe you?"

"I'm shameless, not stupid," Yoruichi answered easily, "After that stunt with Mr. Beautiful, the thought of what you'd do if I tried anything more scares me shitless."

The Chinese girl snorted, not even cracking a smile, but still nodded. "Fine. But the minute your hands start getting touchy, I'm breaking them in fifteen different places. Got it?"

Nodding a little too happily for someone in her position, Yoruichi finally released her grip on the girl's wrist, watching her sink back down into the beanbag chair.

"I'm Yoruichi Shihoin," she said, finally introducing herself, and extended a hand. The Chinese girl just glared back, and Yoruichi let out a sigh. "Come on, it's _just_ a name! No need to be so uptight."

Glaring for a bit longer, the girl reluctantly answered, but still didn't shake hands. "Sui-Feng Fon."

"See, that wasn't too hard, was it?"

"Whatever."

They sat in silence for a bit, Yoruichi gazing out at the wilder partiers, while Sui-Feng was fine sipping from her bottle and making sure the older girl wasn't trying anything. The dark-skinned woman wasn't one to sit still for long though, and tried to get her overly stiff companion to chat.

"So, why are you here, anyway? Doesn't seem like your kind of place."

"Why? Just because I'm not _easy_ doesn't mean I'm a total loser," Sui-Feng shot back, still having the bite to her voice.

"Right…so that's why you're over here?' Yoruichi replied, gesturing to their corner. The black-haired girl glanced away sheepishly.

"Free food and beer," she muttered.

"Are you even old enough to drink?"

Sui-Feng stared back at her with an incredulous look on her face.

"Well, guess you're not too uptight," Yoruichi said, laughing again, "But you might as well be having some fun if you're going to be here. Or maybe…that number was your boyfriend's?"

The dark-skinned woman snickered as the Chinese girl choked on her drink, glad to have a little bit of payback. Sui-Feng tried to regain her composure, coughing to clear her throat properly.

"Like you're one to talk," she spluttered out, "Why the hell are you here if you're just going to torture yourself with some stupid bet?"

"It's a matter of pride," Yoruichi answered matter-of-factly, "Especially after you cost me the last one."

Sui-Feng looked a little curious. "And how'd I do that?"

"My friend thought I'd strike out with you, I thought I'd hit a homerun. You should know how that turned out. Not that I mind losing the cash, but it definitely sucked," the older woman said, smiling despite her complaints, "Of course, I think you ended up knocking out the batter with a wild pitch."

The black-haired girl just grunted, not sympathizing in the slightest. "How nice for you, being able to throw money around like nothing," she said scathingly.

"Hey, if you got it, spend it, right?"

Sui-Feng looked ready to argue, but paused, thinking for a moment.

"How much you got on you?" she asked suddenly. Yoruichi stared back, wondering what had brought on the sudden attentiveness.

"Enough. Why? Hope your not planning on mugging me now."

Sui-Feng rolled her eyes. "Look, you're bored, and I could use some quick cash -"

"Well, sure, if you really want to…but I really don't want to lose the bet…"

The Chinese girl narrowed her eyes at the implication. "Get your head out of the gutter, damn it. How 'bout another bet: Everything you've got, if I can drink you under the table."

"Drinking game is it?" Yoruichi asked slowly, considering it. "And if I win? Can't say that money interests me much."

"Fine then, what do you want?"

Yoruichi grinned mischievously, making Sui-Feng briefly regretting making the offer. "If I win, we get your drunken butt on the dance floor - naked."

Gulping, the Chinese girl looked ready to back out, but quickly nodded before she started thinking too hard. "Fine."

"Well, let's see what you've got then, lightweight."

* * *

Groaning loudly, her head feeling like it was being repeatedly pounded by a jackhammer; the girl opened her eyes as slowly as possible. The light, which was very dim, was still enough to make her headache even worse. Gradually propping herself up on one elbow, she finally managed to make out peeling wallpaper and dilapidated flooring, her vision still blurry as hell. It took several more moments before she realized that she didn't recognize the room in the slightest.

Yoruichi tried to sit up fully, but soon realized that another weight was keeping her down. From there, she quickly figured out that she was completely naked, and given the soft feeling against her chest she guessed that she wasn't the only one. The first thing that came to mind was that Kuukaku would be gloating for weeks, and that thought alone made her fall back against the mattress, causing a loud creaking as her weight settled back down.

A disgruntled moan was heard, Yoruichi's movements having awoken the bed's other occupant. Forcing her head up so she could look, all other thoughts were quickly evacuated from her mind as she saw two long, black braids. Before she could even comprehend her situation, the other girl had opened her bloodshot eyes, squinting as she tried to shake off her own hangover. Unfortunately for Yoruichi, Sui-Feng wasn't nearly as slow to react as she had been, her expression jumping from shocked to murderous in an instant.

"_Oh. Shit."_


	3. Rock Bottom

"My, aren't you looking beautiful today," the scruffy blond-haired man called out in greeting, his tone half patronizing, half teasing, and completely irritating. Taking note of this, the black-haired woman sitting beside him looked up, spotting their mutual friend walking their way.

"Wow. What the hell happened to you?" Kuukaku asked, as Yoruichi came closer. The dark-skinned woman just grimaced as she limped toward the table, heavily favouring her right leg. Her left eye was partially swollen, giving her an obvious squint, and she was having trouble standing straight because of a very sore back.

"It's a long story," Yoruichi answered simply, tentatively taking a seat. Actually, it was more like the contents of the story that she was so hesitant to divulge. Completely ignoring the blur of the previous night that she had no recollection of, the morning itself had been fairly harrowing in itself. To say that the Chinese girl had freaked out would be an extreme understatement. In fact, her first reaction had been to deliver one hell of a left hook, resulting in the soon-to-be-black eye. If Yoruichi hadn't been so quick to bolt, she probably would've been lying in a morgue at this very moment. At least the girl had been kind enough to throw her clothes at her, even if it had made her trip down a flight of stairs.

"Well, we've been trying to call you for hours," Kuukaku said, looking mildly concerned – though it could've been the lack of a hangover softening her expression.

"I kinda lost my cellphone," Yoruichi answered. She had a decent idea where she'd left it, but trying to get it back would be akin to suicide.

"So, any idea what happened to my car?" the purple-haired girl asked. She'd spent the last few hours trying to track it down, without much luck.

"It's in the parking lot," Kuukaku answered, pulling out a set of keys from her pocket, "Consider yourself lucky, 'cause it's a damn miracle any time I end up being the designated driver."

"She even had me playing witness to the momentous occasion," Kisuke said, grinning at the memory, "I ended up giving her a breathalyser test too, just to prove it."

"Which also means I held up my end of the bargain," the boisterous woman gloated, a victorious grin on her face. "So how about you? I noticed you with that China doll from the restaurant, and seeing how you were all over her…"

"Don't want to talk about that right now," Yoruichi said, grimacing slightly. Her bruises were still very fresh.

"So you _did_ do her!" Kuukaku whooped out, cheering in triumph.

"Yeah, yeah," the dark-skinned girl muttered, though she was smiling a little. "I would've preferred being sober though. That way I could run before she started going homicidal on my ass."

"So that's why you look like road kill?" Kuukaku asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yup."

The black-haired girl broke into laughter, and Yoruichi soon found herself chuckling alongside her. Kisuke, on the other hand, was looking oddly thoughtful.

"So, what does this girl look like?" he asked suddenly.

"What?" the purple-haired girl responded, a little taken aback, "Black hair, two braids, short, skinny…why?"

"No reason at all," Kisuke said cryptically, pushing his chair back and standing up, "Well, you'll have to excuse me, ladies. I hope you have a nice day."

"Huh? What're you talking about?" Kuukaku inquired, but the young man had already hurried off. She looked back at Yoruichi, puzzled. "What's his problem?"

Yoruichi just shrugged her shoulders, until a voice from behind her sent chills down her spine.

"YOU!"

"I don't want to be here right now, do I?" she muttered, not daring to look back.

"I don't think you want to be on this continent right now," Kuukaku said, wisely backing away, as she watched the fiery Chinese girl stalking toward them. Yoruichi slowly turned in her chair, just in time to have the front of her shirt grabbed by a small but forceful hand. For a brief and futile moment she wondered how the girl had managed to track her down, but the thought quickly evacuated her head when she met the girl's furious eyes.

"Do you have _any_ idea how much shit I've had to deal with because of you?" Sui-Feng spat out venomously, looking like she was well past her breaking point.

"Uh…does that mean you're pregnant?" Yoruichi said without thinking, and Kuukaku groaned from behind her. Before she could blink, a fist connected with her cheek, sending her staggering back. The Chinese girl packed quite a punch, despite being so tiny.

"Stop fucking with me!" Sui-Feng raged, looking like she'd go on a killing spree at any moment. "Thanks to you, my goddamn landlord s_omehow_ got the idea that I'm some drunken, partying, lesbian whore, and gave me three days notice to clear out!"

"Well, technically -"

"Then I spent the next two hours at the police station because I broke the bastard's jaw, and only got away from assault charges because I promised to leave by tonight and pay all the money I owe him! And if that's not enough, I was four hours late for work, and my boss fired me on the spot because I was arrested!"

Cheek still throbbing, Yoruichi could only watch blankly as the girl stood there, breathing heavily as she vented off her anger.

"I'm…sorry?"

"Oh, _thanks._ I'm homeless, broke and in debt, but your apology makes _everything_ better," Sui-Feng snarled scathingly, "Just give me my damn money, then get the fuck out of my life."

The dark-skinned woman was lost, trying to figure out if she was being blackmailed. Catching on quickly, the younger girl growled in exasperation.

"The bet, dammit!"

"Oh," Yoruichi answered lamely, "I thought I won, considering we were doing a naked tango…"

In retrospect, she should've seen the punch coming that time, but at least her eyes were symmetrical again. Lying on the ground with stars flashing across her vision, she was mildly aware of the Chinese girl standing over her.

"Any more smartass comments?" Sui-Feng demanded, barely restraining herself.

"No, I'm good," Yoruichi replied. She blindly grabbed her wallet from her jean pocket and pulled out a stack of bills. The younger girl snatched them, then immediately turned and stomped away, still growling under her breath.

"Well, that went surprisingly well," Kuukaku said, looking pleased that her own screw-ups weren't so dramatic.

"No kidding," Yoruichi said numbly, pulling herself upright again, though she was still a little unsteady on her feet. Her face was really throbbing now, and she figured that it would probably be best to get some ice before it swelled up too much. Casting about for the car keys on the table, she managed to close her hand around them, and then staggered off towards the campus parking lot.

"See you later, Kuukaku," she muttered as she left.

* * *

Wincing as she applied the cold pressure to her face, Yoruichi slumped back against the couch. Staring blankly ahead, she muddled through the chaotic events of the morning. All-in-all, things hadn't turned out too badly. This wasn't the first time that one of her flings had gotten violent, and at this point she expected such reactions. Of course, with other girls it had been a slap at most, which was a lot easier to shrug off. A few extra bruises weren't that much, really, and things could have been a lot worse.

"_I'm homeless, broke and in debt, but your apology makes _everything _better…"_

Yoruichi winced again as she remembered the girl's words. Okay, maybe things could've been a lot worse from _her_ perspective. Jilted lovers were one thing, and they were easy to forget. Hell, the playgirl often showed off her latest exploits with pride, like a checklist of all her accomplishments. Screwing up someone's life though…

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, the young woman berated herself. Why was she even spending so much time worrying, anyway? It was as Kuukaku had said: she should be quick to wash her hands from the whole mess, and the girl would probably be happy to never see her face again. It wasn't like she wanted to take responsibility, either, and just forgetting about the entire ordeal was definitely the smartest choice for her…

Sighing, she stood abruptly, tossing the icepack onto the coffee table in front of her.

"_Kisuke and Kuukaku are never going to let me hear the end of this," _she thought irritably as she walked to the bedroom to get changed.

* * *

Sui-Feng ruefully shoved the last of her clothes into the box, briefly noting that it wasn't even close to being full yet. She took a final look around the wreck that she'd considered a home, not expecting to see anything that she'd missed, but meticulously checked anyway. Confirming that nothing was missing, she bitterly turned back around to grab her things. A stack of clothes and a few accessories that couldn't even fill a medium sized cardboard box, and a backpack containing all her school supplies; it was a little depressing to see what her life up until then had amounted to. Shifting her bag on her shoulders, she lifted the box, vaguely pleased that she had to strain a little to pick it up, before she walked out of the decrepit apartment.

"Happy?" she sarcastically demanded from her former landlord, who had been standing in the hallway, supervising her departure. The obese man just grunted, and Sui-Feng felt a grim sense of satisfaction that he couldn't properly respond, or even smile, given the wires keeping his jaw in place. That, at least, had been one good result from the freefall of disasters. Without another word, she stormed down the hallway, trying to pretend that the decrepit building was nothing more than a bad rut in the road, one that could be easily forgotten.

Unfortunately for her, reality had a tendency to crush any of those foolish illusions. With just over a hundred dollars in her pockets – more than she had expected, to be perfectly honest – she didn't have very much to live off of. At best she would get a few nights at a ratty motel and a few cheap meals, which didn't leave much time to find a new job, especially one that would hire her immediately. True, she could always turn to some friends for help, but asking for favours and leeching off of their kindness would leave a disgustingly bitter taste in her mouth. Still, if she didn't have any other option…

Trudging down a creaky set of stairs, Sui-Feng swore loudly. She wouldn't have even been in this mess if it wasn't for that damn woman. What the hell was it with spoiled, rich assholes, anyway? They thought they could waltz into people's lives, take whatever the hell they wanted, and walk off without a second thought. She should have just followed her instincts and stayed the hell away from the bitch. She swore again, and it quickly escalated into a twenty second tirade, joined with repeated kicks to the nearest wall.

"_I bet this is bad karma for swearing so much,"_ she cynically thought to herself, but still felt better after venting some of her stress. Taking several deep breaths, she hurried down the stairs once more, having the urge to leave the building as soon as possible. Clearing the final landing, she headed toward the entryway, and from the orange haze of sunlight coming through the open doorway, she realized that it was already evening.

Any other Saturday she would have been working the full day, and by now would have been dead on her feet and sick of seeing customers. It was kind of funny, how even bad days seemed pleasant after going through several hours of hell. Sui-Feng quickly cut that line of thought short, though, not wanting to tempt fate any more than she already had. After all, every time she'd questioned how things could get worse, somehow they always did.

And of course, this time was absolutely no exception. She was tired, hungry, and completely pissed off at everything around her, yet as she walked out of the building, the sight that greeted her made everything feel ten times worse.

"Hey there," an increasingly familiar and infuriating voice called out. Seated behind the wheel of a sleek looking convertible, parked right outside the building, was the same dark-skinned, purple-haired woman that Sui-Feng had been cursing only moments before. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of mirrored sunglasses, but she was still smiling that damn cocky smile of hers.

The Chinese girl was about ready to explode, feeling the anger swell up inside her once more, but deflated just as quickly. She was sick and tired of having to deal with the same persistent problem, and the only thing she felt like doing right then was curling up and sleeping. Without acknowledging the woman she started moving again, walking down the sidewalk.

"Hold up!" Yoruichi yelled in surprise, and then fumbled with her keys as she started up her car again. Setting it into gear, she pulled up alongside the girl, slowing to a steady and parallel pace along the side of the road.

"Come on, just wait a minute," she said again. Sui-Feng continued to ignore her, though privately wishing the woman would hit a street lamp.

"I'm trying to apologize here," the dark-skinned girl said, but was met with no response once again. Cursing, she quickly dropped into park and opened the driver-side door, jumping out and hurrying to cut the girl off. The Chinese girl blinked when Yoruichi stepped in front of her, and considered punching her for the fourth time that day, before remembering that she was still holding a box in her arms.

"Tell me one reason why I shouldn't just kill you," she said tonelessly, "Because free meals and a roof in a jail cell are getting more and more inviting by the minute."

"Or you could stay at my place, and skip the orange jumpsuit," Yoruichi said hesitantly. Sui-Feng just stared back, but quickly dropped the box in her hands, her left tightening into a fist as she swung it furiously. The dark-skinned woman had been expecting it that time, though, and had already brought her arm up to block, though she still wince at the impact.

"I don't fucking believe you!" Sui-Feng roared, "What kind of sick, goddamn freak are you? Is my life some fucking game to you, that you can just drag me through the damn dirt and –"

"I'm serious," Yoruichi cut-in, and the Chinese girl was taken aback, surprised at how sincere the woman had actually sounded. "Look, I'm sorry, I really mean it. I know I screwed things up for you, and I feel guilty about it, okay? Let me give you a place to stay, as an apology or something, until you get back on your feet or whatever."

Sui-Feng looked a little dumbfounded, and lowered her arm. She stared blankly for a moment, thinking through the woman's words, before she glanced down at her feet, shoulders sagging slightly.

"Just leave me alone," she muttered. Yoruichi frowned and waited a moment, but nodded in acquiescence, turning to walk back to her car.

"Wait," Sui-Feng said suddenly, and the older girl stopped in her tracks. "No catches?"

"None."

"No obligations?"

"No."

"I don't owe you anything, you don't get anything from me, and you don't screw with my life?"

"Yes."

"Fine," Sui-Feng relented, sighing deeply. It wasn't as if she had a whole lot of options available to her, and frankly the woman's offer sounded much better than anything else she had thought of. It wouldn't be the first time she had to live with someone she hated, either, and not having to worry about a roof over her head would definitely make life easier. Besides, the apology had actually sounded sincere.

Bending down to pick up her box of stuff, she turned toward the car, and then hesitated when she saw the grin on the dark-skinned girl's face, already starting to feel apprehensive about her decision.

"Let's go then," Yoruichi said, not noticing the younger girl's reluctance, "Toss that stuff in the trunk, and I'll help you with the rest of it."

"No need," Sui-Feng answered, taking slow steps, "This _is_ everything."

"…Oh," the older girl answered, looking slightly shocked. She stepped forward and grabbed the cardboard box, dumping it on the backseat before she circled back around to driver's seat. "Just toss your pack in the back then, and get in."

Before she could start second guessing herself, Sui-Feng slid her backpack off, and dropped it into the back of the car. She swung the passenger door open and took a seat, buckling herself in quickly. Yoruichi flashed a grin, and then quickly pulled the car into gear, stepping on the gas.

It had been awhile since Sui-Feng had been in a car, and she was actually a little nervous as they whipped down the streets, especially at the speed they were going. She glanced over at the dark-skinned girl, who was still wearing the pair of sunglasses.

"You _can_ still see, right?" she asked, trying to hide the concern from her voice.

"Well enough," Yoruichi answered, which wasn't encouraging in the slightest. "It'd be a lot better if my eyes weren't all bruised up though. Why do you think I'm wearing the shades?"

Sui-Feng cursed mentally as she pushed herself further into her seat. For the first time in her life, she was actually regretting giving someone a black eye – or two, in this case.

"You're one hell of a southpaw, by the way," the older girl commented, chuckling.

"I'm right-handed," the Chinese girl murmured, and Yoruichi's smile faltered.

* * *

"Well, this is the place," Yoruichi announced as she unlocked the door, swinging it open, but Sui-Feng didn't bother saying anything as she stepped inside. Smiling, the older girl closed the door as she entered as well. It wasn't often that she invited other people to her place, and it was usually done under slightly different circumstances.

"So what do you think?" she inquired. The Chinese girl just grunted in noncommittal as she kicked off her shoes and walked out of the entryway. The older girl shook her head slightly, slipping her own shoes off and then followed. Things would definitely be interesting for the next while, especially if Sui-Feng was planning on ignoring her. It wasn't like she'd been expecting a better reception, and the very fact that the girl had agreed to her proposition had been surprising in itself. Not wanting to dwell on idle thoughts, she shifted the box in her arms and quickly hurried forward, eager to play tour guide.

The penthouse suite was spacious, to say the least. It wasn't the most expensive place on the market, but it wasn't exactly cheap either. Fully furnished and decorated, it definitely had a high-end appeal to it, though Yoruichi didn't really have much of an eye for home décor. She rarely used the place anyway, preferring to be out and around during the days and evenings, only coming back late at night to sleep – though usually not alone.

"This is the living room," Yoruichi noted to the Chinese girl, who had been eyeing the place with a rather blank look. "There's a kitchen to the right, bathroom's over there to the left. Bedroom's down around the corner. Use any of this stuff if you want, I think the TV and stereo remote are somewhere around here. Fridge is probably empty…'cept for some bottles of milk…"

Glancing down, she realized she was still lugging around the cardboard box, and turned to drop it off in a corner.

"Guess we can just shove your stuff here 'till you sort it out…" Yoruichi thought aloud, lifting up a shirt idly. She was a little surprised when a small, purple object slipped out from between the folds. "Hey, so that's where my cellphone went…

Sui-Feng made another toneless grunt behind her.

"Right, where're you going to sleep…Well, there's only one bed, but if you're good, I might share it," she joked, but was confused when no angry retort came to reprimand her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that the girl was lying across the sofa facedown, her heavy breathing revealing that she had already fallen asleep.

"Or you could take the couch," Yoruichi murmured, scratching her head a little. Briefly she wondered what she was doing, or what she was trying to do. She'd basically been responding to guilt when she'd invited the girl to stay with her, but after that? She wasn't a particularly charitable person, and she wasn't exactly used to having a roommate, especially one that hated her guts.

"_Well, I just hope we don't drive each other insane."_


	4. Back to the Grind

Groaning loudly as she awoke, the Chinese girl felt like she'd been twisted up like a pretzel, her neck and back aching from the awkward position she'd been sleeping in. She arched her back slowly, trying to stretch and straighten herself out, but only ended up bumping the top of her head against the armrest of the loveseat. Swearing, she sat up slowly, twisting herself back and forth as she tried to work the kinks out of her joints. Standing up, she rose up on her tiptoes, stretching her arms above her head, and finally felt a satisfying pop from her spine.

Sui-Feng had almost forgotten about her new accommodations, but the unfamiliar room around her served as a stark reminder. Glancing about, she tried to get her bearing, and realized that she'd fallen asleep in the living room, the subtle indent in the couch marking her claim to the "bed". It wasn't exactly the best of sleeping arrangements, but from the look of the suite around her, even the lowliest of furniture in the place was still decidedly better than what she'd had a few days ago. Of course, she would have to grab a pillow and blanket from somewhere if she wanted to avoid any more uncomfortable mornings.

Absently brushing at her clothes, trying to get rid of the creases in her shirt and pants, she noted that she'd fallen asleep in her previous day's attire. It was probably for the best though, considering that she didn't have anything to use as sleepwear, and given the tendencies of her new roommate wearing anything less would likely result in very regrettable decisions. Speaking of her new roommate…

Padding quietly across the softly carpeted floors, Sui-Feng did a quick search of the apartment. Finding the door tightly shut to what she thought was the bedroom, she nodded, satisfied. That was one less problem she'd have to deal with that morning. Remembering there was a kitchen in the suite, she quickly headed over to it, making a beeline for the fridge once she spotted it. She didn't usually take such liberties when she stayed at someone else's place, but, given the circumstances, she didn't feel very guilty about helping herself to some food. However, her plans were immediately crushed upon seeing a dozen milk cartons lining the shelves, and completely empty space where _most_ people would keep something edible.

"_Who the hell needs so much milk, anyway,"_ she thought with disdain, but pulled out a carton anyway – at least it was _something_. Opening it up, she took a quick sip, and started to search through the rest of the kitchen. Most of the cabinets and drawers were empty, and she only managed to find a few pieces of cutlery and a handful of dishes and cups. A couple of pots and pans were discovered in a cupboard beside the small oven, but none of them looked like they had been used recently, or even used at all. It was painfully obvious that the place wasn't stocked for any sort of living, and Sui-Feng was seriously starting to wonder if the older girl even knew what a kitchen was used for. With a disgusted snort, the girl shoved her half-empty milk carton back into the fridge, and left the kitchen.

Now that her breakfast plans had been flushed down the drain, she didn't have any other excuses to waste time. It was her first real day off in months, and, typically, she was going to spend it trying to sort through the usual mess of problems. Heading back to the living room, she turned to the small box that had been left in the corner, and rummaged through its contents until she found a thick, wool sweater. Quickly pulling it on, she briskly walked to the apartment's entryway, and was already out the door before she had finished slipping her shoes on.

* * *

Curled and cocooned tightly under several layers of sheets, snoring softly into her feather down pillow, the chocolate-skinned woman was in a blissfully deep slumber, ignorant of anything beyond her own sweet dreams – and that included the heavy, dull hammering of someone knocking at the front door. Unfortunately, the pounding on the door didn't stop, and even began to escalate, and even the infamously lazy mornings of Yoruichi Shihoin weren't immune to the equivalent of a stampede echoing through her suite. Eventually she stirred, making a catlike whining as she was woken up prematurely. Still bleary-eyed and lacking cognitive functions, she glanced over to the digital clock sitting on her bedstand, noting that it wasn't even seven yet.

The banging sound still continued, and the woman managed to drag herself up, half-blind from drowsiness, and shuffled ungracefully towards the source of the disturbance. Fumbling briefly with her bedroom door, she managed to pry it open, and staggered down the short hall to the front door. At such close proximity, the knocking felt like it was reverberating in her head, giving her a splitting headache. Groping for the handle, she feebly twisted at it, and managed to pull the door open wide.

"It's about time -" Sui-Feng began irately, but looked suddenly taken aback, "Aren't you a little underdressed?"

"Huh?" Yoruichi answered stupefied, completely oblivious to the fact that she'd answered the door looking completely dishevelled, wearing only a set of lacy, black lingerie.

"Whatever," the Chinese girl said briskly, brushing the older woman aside as she marched into the apartment, carrying a folded up newspaper under her arm.

"Eh? Whad're you doin' 'ere?" the dark-skinned girl asked stupidly, her brain still stuck in first-gear.

"I'm living here, remember? I hope you haven't forgotten _why_."

"Oh…righd," Yoruichi managed to mumble out before yawning deeply. She managed to remember to shut the door behind her, as she shuffled sluggishly after the younger girl. Rubbing her eyes repeatedly, she stumbled back across the living room, heading toward the bathroom, not paying any attention to what Sui-Feng was doing.

Walking across the heated tiles, she made it over to the sink and turned the taps, letting a steady flow come trickling out. Cupping her hands together, she splashed the warm water onto her face several times until the cobwebs started to clear from her head. Drying herself off with a hand towel, she grabbed a soft bathrobe off a rack, pulling it on and tying it tightly before she headed back into the living room.

"Did you have to wake me up so early?" she complained.

"If your stupid door wasn't auto latching, I wouldn't have had to," Sui-Feng countered back sharply. She had tossed the majority of her paper to the side, leaving only a few pages in front of her on the coffee table. She had procured a pen from somewhere, and was sporadically using it to circle small clips. Wandering closer, Yoruichi peered over at the paper, spotting the "Classifieds" label across the top. From the looks of it, the Chinese girl had circled at least a third of the ads on a single page alone.

"This one's close to that…I could probably go here too…" the girl murmured to herself as she circled several more ads. It didn't seem like she was bothering to look over any of descriptions in great detail.

"You're going to all of those places?" the dark-skinned woman asked in curiosity.

"I could probably go through a dozen before noon…maybe another dozen after, before they close…I'll have to get out more during the week…" Sui-Feng said absently, as she concentrated on her planning. With a final scribble, she folded the paper up and stood promptly, looking ready to head off, before pausing in her steps.

"I should probably shower up first," the girl muttered dejectedly, but suddenly brightened, for no obvious reason. About to ask, Yoruichi found an enigmatic look thrown her way, before a question was slowly posed. "You have _hot_ water, right?"

"Yeah, why do you -" the older girl started, but she hadn't even finished before the Chinese girl had leapt into action, crossing the living room and shutting the bathroom door in a flash.

"Be my guest," Yoruichi murmured to herself, still not understanding. Plopping herself down on the sofa, she grabbed the TV remote and pushed the power button. With no idea what was on at seven in the morning – she hadn't even known there _was_ a seven in the morning – she flipped through the channels, vaguely aware of the sound of running water. Then, without warning, a far too exuberant moan sounded from the recently locked washroom.

"Oh, _thank_ _god!_"

Staring blankly for several moments, the dark-skinned woman shook her head violently, her attention turning back to the television as she tried to ignore the various images that her overly creative imagination had spawned.

* * *

"Well, this certainly is a surprise. If you keep this up, early mornings might just become a habit for you."

"Kisuke…"

"Shut up?"

"Exactly."

Nursing a cup of hot coffee while she waited for her breakfast to arrive, Yoruichi was sitting opposite her male friend, looking far more kempt than she had an hour ago. She'd even managed to cover up the majority of her bruises with some careful makeup work, though the swelling was still there. Nonetheless, the very fact that she was having breakfast was a miracle in itself – the mealtime had previously been alien to her.

"Where's Kuukaku?" she asked, not really knowing what the other girl's morning routine was – aside from downing half a bottle of Tylenol.

"She mentioned something about a box of fireworks and her idiot brother."

"Somehow that sounds fitting…"

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company this morning?" Kisuke asked cheekily, not letting the matter die.

"It's a very long story," Yoruichi muttered, not wanting to go into the specifics.

"Given your record, I'd take that to mean you had another fateful encounter with another lovely lady," the young man said in that irritatingly know-it-all tone of his.

"The same one, actually," the girl answered, taking a long drink from her cup. Glancing back up, she scowled when she saw the smirk growing on the blonde man's face. "Not even close."

"Well then, I think you'll have to tell that story of yours, unless you want me to keep my misunderstandings."

Yoruichi sighed in defeat. It wasn't like she had to keep it a secret, and she had planned to tell her friends anyway. Still, that didn't stop the whole thing from being embarrassing as hell.

"I assume Kuukaku told you what happened after you bailed on us?"

"Briefly. From what I heard, you were knocked out in round two."

"Yeah, that about sums it up," she answered, taking another sip of coffee, contemplating how best to explain the rest of the story. In the end, she decided to be blunt about it. "Well, now she's my roomie."

The blank stare she received was a bit unnerving, to say the least.

"I figured I owed her," she explained, trying to sound reasonable, "It's not everyday that I make someone broke and homeless."

"So, you _actually_ felt guilty?" Kisuke inquired, his signature knowing smirk appearing back on his face. Yoruichi was suddenly feeling an urge to take a page from Sui-Feng's book, and wipe the annoying smile off of his face.

"Yeah, yeah, don't read too much into it," she said. In the back of her head, she could hear Kuukaku's cackling, and knew it wouldn't be long before she heard the real thing. "It's a strictly formal arrangement."

"So you say," the young man said, with a glint in his eye, "Yet she already seems to have you whipped."

"Shut it," Yoruichi growled, a dangerous tone in her voice, "…next time I'll just let her break the damn door down."

Thankfully, that morning's debacle wouldn't be repeating itself any time soon. After the Chinese girl had finished with her long and audibly enjoyable shower, she had stomped back into the living room and immediately demanded for Yoruichi to get a spare apartment key. The older girl hadn't even been sure that she had an extra key, but after several minutes of searching, aided by some not-so-subtle threats, she had managed to find one stashed away at the bottom of a drawer, collecting dust. All-in-all, the entire event was somewhat laughable, but it was still a poignant reminder that the situation was one of necessity, and not interest.

Kisuke looked thoughtful for a few moments, observing his friend. "So you really aren't planning on trying anything?"

"Not a chance in hell," she replied with finality, "I've been there before, and there are plenty of safer ways to get my kick."

From the corner of her eye she spotted a young waitress carrying several plates, gradually making her way towards their table, and a sly smile played across her lips. "And speaking of kicks, I've been abstinent for four days straight now…"

"One, actually," Kisuke corrected.

"That doesn't count, I was completely plastered."

"Whatever the case, I'd recommend keeping your business away from your place."

"Why?" Yoruichi asked, looking back at her friend, a perplexed look on her face.

"No reason at all," Kisuke answered cryptically, reaching up to settle his hat further down on his head.

* * *

"Yeah? Well I bet all of those are fake!" Sui-Feng yelled over her shoulder, drawing attention as she stomped out of a seedy looking building. It wasn't like she really wanted that job, or anything, but being turned down on the spot because of some stupid, half-assed reasoning was extremely frustrating.

That had been the tenth job posting she'd tried to apply to that morning, and while it had definitely been the most abysmal in terms of results, she couldn't say that the others were any more promising. The majority had simply taken her applications, telling her they'd contact her later, if they were interested – fortunately she actually had a phone they could call now, and she'd had the foresight to write the apartment's number beforehand. One store had started interviewing her the minute she'd said she was interested in the job, which had caught her off guard. Fortunately, she'd been quick enough to get into the flow of things, and had managed to answer smoothly enough – until they asked about her criminal record. Seriously, it was only a couple of aggravated assault charges, and one disorderly conduct.

This wasn't something new to her, though. She'd gone through this whole routine several times before, and by now she was well practised in sweeping through the city, applying to as many jobs as quickly as possible. She should probably have grown a thicker skin, getting used to rejection. Hell, most people her age probably hadn't even _applied_ to the number of jobs she'd been turned down from. Still, it didn't help that every time she went job hunting, there was always a sense of urgency that accompanied it.

"_Well, maybe not so urgent this time,"_ Sui-Feng thought to herself as she walked to her next destination, a thin folder with several copies of her resume tucked under her arm, alongside the classified ads. She wouldn't exactly call it luck that had landed her free board; in fact, it was quite the opposite. Still, if she didn't have a place to stay, who knows what kind of state she'd be driving herself into at this moment. Of course, food still looked like a problem she would have to take care of on her own.

"_I suppose I could bully her into buying some groceries,"_ she contemplated, but knew she wouldn't follow up on that. It was the easy solution, for sure, and one that would come with plenty of other perks, but Sui-Feng wasn't about to stoop so low.

Briefly unfolding the paper she was carrying, she checked the listed address for the next posting, and then crossed the street to the next block. Counting off the address numbers as she passed by the stores, she stopped as she arrived at the store she was looking for. Video rentals wasn't exactly the most glamorous of places to work, nor the most lucrative, but she wasn't very picky when it came to work, and the number of jobs she'd previously held proved as much.

Pushing the front door open, she glanced around briefly, checking to see if the store was as mundane as she thought it would be - she wasn't disappointed. A single customer was browsing the shelves, eyeballing the new releases, and the clerk behind the counter was looking incredibly bored, scratching at his chin as he flipped through a magazine. Sighing, Sui-Feng walked forward, pulling a copy of her resume out.

"I'm here about your ad in the paper," she stated, trying to act as polite as possible. The clerk looked up at her, eyeing her briefly before taking the papers from her. She mentally protested as he started reading it intently, realizing that she'd just handed him a distraction from his normally mundane routine.

"You've had a wide range jobs," he said offhandedly, though it sounded somewhat criticizing.

"I like having a wide range of experience," she answered reflexively.

"Why did you leave your last position?" he continued to probe, flipping the top page over.

"Personality conflict."

"Right," he answered, with an apparent amount of sarcasm. Sui-Feng had to bite her tongue to stop an impulsive reply, feeling like she was being goaded.

"Say a customer comes in, complaining about a damaged disk," he described, "What would you say?"

"I'd explain the store's policies, and try to find an acceptable solution," she answered smoothly. In reality, she'd probably tell him to shove it, and then tell him to find some real problems to bitch about.

"Hrm," the clerk grunted, looking bored once again, and tossed the resume under the counter. "We'll contact you if we're interested in your employment."

Not failing to notice that his statement had been clichéd as hers had been, Sui-Feng simply nodded, forcing her best appreciative smile, before calmly walking from the store. She managed to hold her composure for half the length of the block, before finally kicking at the nearest wall. She was sick of having to practically grovel at the feet of those egotistical pricks. All the positions she'd been applying for were nothing more than throw-away jobs meant for kids looking for spending money, and they knew it as well as she did. Stalking down the street, glaring at anything that crossed her sightline, she tried to walk off her growing frustration.

It was pathetic, when she actually thought about it. She hated most of the positions she applied for, and usually despised the places and people she would be working for. When she actually got a job, it usually only lasted a few months, the time it took for her to get fed up and blow a fuse. It was a rather vicious cycle.

After several minutes, and several blocks, she eventually slowed her pace, finally stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. On pure impulse, she crumpled all the papers she was carrying into a tight ball, and then shoved them into the nearest trash can.

"I need a day off," she said aloud, and scuffed her heels on the ground as she started walking again, not caring where she was headed.

* * *

The pacifying tune of classical music drifting through the air as Sui-Feng watched the numbers on the elevator slowly increment. In the end, she had spent the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing. While that normally sounded extremely dull, it had been strangely therapeutic, being able to sit back and act she had nothing to worry about. Of course, it was probably going to come back and bite her, since she'd just have to job hunt more during the week.

The elevator chime finally dinging, she hefted the plastic bag in her hand, stepping forward as the doors slid open. She'd done a little grocery shopping too, picking up a few small things like bread and eggs. Not much, really, but enough to make a few quick meals from. She had plenty of experience cooking over the years, but it wasn't very often that she had a kitchen to use.

The hallway on the top floor was short, since the whole level was divided in half for two suites, and Sui-Feng vaguely wondered how much a place like that would cost. Even her lowest guess seemed ridiculous in comparison to the best she could afford, which only helped to reaffirm her reasons for hating her new roommate. She doubted that the woman even knew what hard work was.

Digging in her pocket for the key she'd gotten that morning, she unlocked the apartment door, pushing it open to enter. When she looked up though, she froze. Only a few feet from her was the dark-skinned, oversexed target of her ire, who was presently melded with a petite brunette whom Sui-Feng didn't recognize in the slightest. The two were locked in a deep kiss, the smaller girl's hands running through thick, purple hair, while the older woman's hands were slowly creeping down to more intimate regions. Neither seemed to have noticed the intrusion, which was something Sui-Feng was going to have to remedy quickly.

Trying her best to ignore the passionate moaning, the Chinese girl stepped into the apartment, and promptly slammed the front door shut. The rabbits in front of her jumped apart immediately, both wearing a shocked look on their faces – the brunette notably embarrassed, while the older woman's expression was simply surprised.

"Don't mind me," Sui-Feng said casually, slipping off her shoes. She walked between the two, and they quickly edged back to make way.

"Who's she?" the brunette demanded in a cute, squeaky voice.

"What? Oh, she's just -" Yoruichi started, but Sui-Feng cut in quickly.

"Her girlfriend," she said, completely deadpan. She didn't break her stride as she continued toward the kitchen, still continuing to talk. "I'm sexually dysfunctional though, so whenever she gets too desperate, she ends up going out to find someone for the night. As I said, don't mind me, I understand her situation completely. Of course, I might want to watch for a little bit."

As she opened the fridge door, she heard the high-pitched voice talking rapidly, a little too quiet for her to understand. The older woman answered back, also inaudibly, but she soon heard the front door opening and slamming shut once again. Sui-Feng just continued to empty the contents of her bag into the fridge.

"Hey, what was that for?" Yoruichi demanded as she stepped into the kitchen, noticeably irritated, and slightly flustered. It was the first time the Chinese girl had heard the woman pissed off, and there was definitely something satisfying about it.

"Not my fault she couldn't take a joke," she answered back. Turning around, she walked past the older woman, and headed to the hall closet, looking for some spare sheets and pillows. Unsurprisingly, the closet was mostly empty.

"Just _what_ is your problem here?" the older woman asked, starting to get seriously annoyed.

"No problem at all. In fact, you caught me in a good mood," Sui-Feng replied snarkily.

"Enough with the damn attitude!" Yoruichi yelled out, "Would it kill you to drop the hostility?"

"No catches, no obligations, remember?" the Chinese girl growled back heatedly, finally turning to face the woman. "The only reason I'm here is because of your shit, and there's no way in hell I'm going to put up with any more of it."

"If that's how it is, I don't have a problem kicking you back out," the older woman retorted, and Sui-Feng stiffened. That possibility had crossed her mind briefly, but like usual she'd been too pissed off to care. Now that it was out in the open, though, realization started to settle in. Conflicted between her emotions and self-interests, she just continued to glare back defiantly.

There was an awkward silence for several seconds, as both women stared each other down. Yoruichi was the first to break the silence though, as he features softened and anger deflated.

"Shit," she said, running her hand through her purple hair, "…I didn't mean that."

Sui-Feng realized that she'd been holding her breath, and exhaled in relief, her own irritation beginning to fade.

"Look," she said, trying to think reasonably, "We both hate each other's guts, and that's not changing any time soon. You keep your business away from me, I keep mine away from you, and we keep this arrangement as tolerable as possible."

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Fine. But I think you're getting the better end of the deal here," she said, though her tone was teasing. Sui-Feng noticed, and felt a little relieved, making a mental note not to see how far the woman could be pushed before she really was kicked out.

"So, you have any spare blankets?" the Chinese girl asked, trying to move the subject to something less serious.

"…yeah, sure."

The dark-skinned woman headed into the bedroom, and came back a few seconds later, tossing a comforter and pillow her.

"…thanks," Sui-Feng murmured, walking into the living room. She was feeling tired, and figured it would be better to sleep than to stay awake, and possibly make things worse for herself.

"You know," Yoruichi said behind her, "I don't actually hate you."

The Chinese girl looked back over her shoulder, eyes narrowed. The older girl just chuckled.

"Okay, I can't say I like you all that much, but you haven't done anything to make me hate you."

"Gee, that makes me feel so much better," Sui-Feng said sarcastically, and the older woman laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Good night."

"Yeah, sure."

Propping the pillow up against the sofa's armrest, Sui-Feng curled up underneath the blanket, and fell asleep in an instant.

* * *

**A/N**: I suppose I should say a couple things here, now that I'm at chapter 4 ^^;;. When I was writing these first few chapters, my basic policy was "no blush, no crush, and no worship". In other words, nothing but angry Sui-Feng from the start, and no tsundere either. Of course, that policy applied both ways, meaning no love-at-first-sight for Yoruichi either. As for what happens now? Well, I suppose you'll have to keep reading...

And thank you to all you avid readers and amazing reviewers! I plan on keeping this story going for a lot longer, and I hope you'll enjoy every step of the way.


	5. Peaceful Coexistance

**A/N: Only late by a month or two...or five. Life got a bit busy and writing ended up taking a backseat. Many thanks to the reviews that came drifting in sporadically over the period that I'd vanished, they made sure I didn't forget about this. Hopefully my updates will be more regular now, but if I try to guarantee it I might ended up jinxing things. So for now, enjoy and stay tuned.**

* * *

"I mean it already, stop apologizing!"

"But I -"

"No."

Isane opened her mouth to speak, but changed her mind after a meaningful glare from Sui-Feng and averted her eyes to the ground. Since neither one had the other's number, they hadn't been in touch since the Chinese girl had been booted from the restaurant. Monday had passed by quickly as well, without their paths crossing. So, it was a full four days after the incident that they finally bumped into one another. Apparently, the silver-haired girl had managed to spawn all kinds of imaginative situations in that time, and had thus released a torrent of frantic apologies.

Now that the she had finally calmed down, her attitude became completely reserved once again. After a few moments, she looked back up, but only made a barely audible squeak as she tried to talk, and went back to looking dismally remorseful. This behaviour continued for a few more minutes, until Sui-Feng couldn't put up with it any longer.

"I'm serious; _none of this _was your fault," she said, trying to assuage the other girl's guilt.

"But if I hadn't invited you…"

"It was a shit-storm of problems. That's _all_. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I made some damn stupid choices. There's no way in hell I'm going to let you mope around because you wanted to be nice to me."

Isane nodded in understanding, but looked uncomfortable nonetheless. Sighing, the black-haired girl forced a weak smile.

"Besides, I was probably getting evicted anyway."

Chuckling nervously, the pre-med student forced her own smile, trying her best not to show concern. She wasn't too good at hiding her emotions though, but the effort was appreciated.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Isane asked.

"Yeah…more or less," Sui-Feng answered, scowling at the other girl's doubtful expression, "I've got a place, honest. It's just a little…complicated."

"That's good then," the girl said, though she didn't look entirely convinced, "You know, if you ever need -"

"I'm _fine_. Really," Sui-Feng cut in, "But…thanks. I mean it."

"Mmm," Isane mumbled back, finally looking a little relieved. "Any luck with a job?"

"Not yet," the Chinese girl admitted grumpily. She'd spent last afternoon and evening running a full resume route again, with about as much luck as she'd had the day before. At the rate she was going through postings, job prospects weren't looking promising.

"Oh…"

"Hey! Cut the frowning," Sui-Feng growled, poking her friend. Isane lips curved, managing a smile of her own.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"Yeah, yeah," the black-haired girl said. It was getting a bit tiring, having to keep perking her friend up; she had enough trouble being cheerful herself, after all. Still, it was nice to talk to someone who actually cared. "Look, I've got a number now. Next time you're getting mopey, call me so I can yell your ears off again."

Isane giggled at that, finally losing the worry lines that had creased her forehead. Pulling out her cellphone, she punched in the numbers as Sui-Feng recited them, and nodded in acknowledgement when she'd finished.

"…can I get you a coffee, at least?" she asked tentatively. The Chinese girl was ready to refuse, but thought better of it.

"Yeah sure. That'd be great."

* * *

Yoruichi grumbled to herself as she stumbled through the apartment, getting increasingly irritated with the incessant buzzing of the doorbell. It was amazing how the most pleasant sounds always became so completely irritating when repeated non-stop. Finally getting to the door, she swiftly unlocked it and flung it wide open.

"What?" she yelled, but instantly regretted it. Not the yelling part so much, but showing that she was getting ticked off. After all, Kuukaku's triumphant smirk always managed to annoy her twice as much as before.

"Well aren't you little Miss sunshine," the black-haired woman said, clearly getting some enjoyment from her friend's discomfort.

"Whatever," Yoruichi mumbled under her breath, "At least you weren't trying to break the door down…"

"Huh?" Kuukaku asked, confused with the remark.

"Never mind, it's nothing," the dark-skinned girl muttered, "Get in already."

"What's eating you, anyway?" the other girl asked, as she walked into the apartment, "Been awhile since I've seen you this dead."

"Well, if _someone_ hadn't woken me up…"

"Woken...? Jesus, woman, it's four in the afternoon!" Kuukaku howled, looking a mixture of amused and incredulous.

"Are you serious?" Yoruichi asked in disbelief, "Great, my sleep patterns all screwed up now…"

"Since when has your sleep ever been normal?"

"Yeah, yeah. So where the hell have _you_ been for the last couple of days?"

"My damn brother nearly blew up a whole house, the dumbass. I swear he must be adop…"

"What?" the dark-skinned girl questioned as her friend trailed off, turning her head to look. Kuukaku had paused in mid-sentence, her eyes staring into another room. Following her gaze, Yoruichi quickly berated herself as she saw the pile of neatly folded bedded sitting on the living room couch. As expected, the black-haired girl's silence quickly ended as she roared with ridiculing laughter.

"So Kisuke wasn't shitting me!" she said in between breaths, nearly brought to tears from mirth.

Yoruichi groaned loudly, feeling the onset of a very painful headache. She knew from the start Kuukaku wouldn't let the matter go lightly, but that didn't make it any less frustrating when the prediction came true. She'd been hoping to bring up the subject in a slightly more subtle manner – like when the other girl was dead drunk and barely conscious – but naturally, things never worked out as planned. Figuring that the mocking wasn't going to be ending any time soon, she slouched into the kitchen, opening the fridge to get to her stash of milk. Distracted as she was, though, she failed to notice her fingers wrap around an oddly shaped container, but quickly realized her mistake when she found the difficulty in drinking from an egg carton.

Thankfully, the black-haired girl had been too busy staring at the living room to notice; otherwise she would have asphyxiated on the spot. Rummaging through the fridge once again, she managed to find her milk buried in the back, and swiftly popped the lid wide, downing almost half the carton in one go. It certainly didn't shut Kuukaku up, but it sure as hell made her feel better.

Walking back into the hall, she found the other girl red in the face, trying to breathe properly, her last few chuckles trailing off.

"Done yet?" Yoruichi asked.

"…just…about…" the girl said, wheezing a few more times before she managed to straighten up. "Okay…I'm good."

"Glad I could amuse you so much," the dark-skinned girl said sarcastically.

"Gotta say, this last week's been one hell of a riot," Kuukaku said, a huge grin on her face, "I leave you alone for a couple days, and ya go and start a family on me. Now, starting talkin'."

"Right…er, how much did Kisuke tell you?"

"All he said was that you got a roommate. Thought it was pure bullshit, but I guess not."

Yoruichi made a mental note to kill the boy the next time she saw him. Naturally, he'd left all the annoying parts for her to explain.

"Well…" she started. The black-haired girl had an eager expression on her face as if she was waiting for the punch line to a huge joke – which was a fitting comparison, actually. "…remember the Chinese girl?"

The words took a few seconds to sink in, and Kuukaku's eyes shot wide open.

"Are you fucking serious?" she shouted in disbelief, "The one that set a raving egomaniac on your ass when you tried to pick her up?"

"…yeah."

"The one you put in drunken stupor before you fucked her?"

"…eh…"

"The one that almost turned you into a bloody statistic on the sidewalk?"

"…that…sounds about right."

"Are you INSANE?"

Yoruichi rubbed at the back of her neck.

"I…kinda felt sorry for her."

Kuukaku's mouth was gaping wide open, and after a few gargled noises that were attempts at speech, she finally turned and stomped off back down the hallway, poking her head out through the door.

"This is definitely her apartment," she stated, "So when did you aliens abduct her?"

"Ha, ha," Yoruichi answered dryly, "Come on, it's not _that_ weird…"

The black-haired girl looked ready to call the mental asylum.

"Okay, maybe just a little weird," the tanned girl said, and Kuukaku rolled her eyes dramatically. "Okay, fine, it's a sign of the freaking apocalypse. At least I've got something to compare to some of your top disasters now."

The other girl looked did her best to keep a straight face, but only lasted a few seconds before she cracked up, breaking out a giant grin.

"Shit, woman, what a mess you've gotten into. You better be getting some from her, at least."

It was Yoruichi's turn to consider bringing in the psychiatrists, and her face must've showed it.

"No?" the blacke-haired girl asked.

"I like my bones _inside_ my body, thank you very much," the dark-skinned girl said coyly.

"So what the hell's in it for you, then?"

"…um...a guilt free…conscience?"

Kuukaku looked on sceptically, then sighed, and walked up to her friend, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"What are we going to do with you," she said melodramatically, "Come on, I'm dragging you outta here before you start acting all mushy, or something."

"You just don't want to be here when she gets back," Yoruichi said, sticking her tongue out.

"Can ya blame me?"

The dark-skinned girl laughed, and shrugged her friends arm off. "Just let me get changed."

* * *

"Sorry, Miss Fon, you have an impressive amount of experience, and you certainly have the qualifications we would be looking for, but we simply aren't able to hire any new staff right now."

"…I understand. Thank you for your time."

Sui-Feng extended her hand to the store manager, who shook it briefly.

"If any positions become available, we'll be sure to give you a call," he said.

"I'd appreciate that," she answered, bowing her head quickly, before turning to walk from the store. That was the closest she'd gotten to a job, which obviously wasn't close enough. Pushing open the exit, she stepped back out onto the street, her skin flushing slightly from the cool air. Sticking her hands in her pockets, she started walking away, wondering just what the hell she was going to do next. The sun had set already, and the sidewalks were dimly illuminated by the yellow glow of the streetlamps. Most shops were closed down now, which meant she'd have a hard time even talking to an employer, let alone getting a job.

Exhaling heavily, she watched her breath mist as it touched the cool air. There were a few postings she could still check out, but unfortunately, they were graveyard shifts, so she'd left them as absolute last resorts. Things had already been tough when she was working evening hours, but a full time job through the dead of night would be even worse. Still, she'd gone zero to five already today, not to mention the dozens of failed applications the days before. Her choices were getting smaller and smaller, and the last resorts started looking more and more appealing.

With a final sigh, she turned at the corner, heading further into the city. Better to worry about dealing with the job after she had it, than not have one at all…

* * *

"Come on, you gotta admit, he was kinda cute."

"He was a total dork! Did ya hear that stuttering?"

"Didn't help that you were making your crazy face."

"He was almost crying when he ran off!"

"Well, that coffee _was_ hot," Yoruichi said, before taking a sip from her still steaming cup. Kuukaku just grinned, looking pleased with herself. When a waiter walked by, she quickly gestured with her empty cup, requesting a refill.

"Aw, so you wanted the little man to stick around?" the dark-haired girl teased.

"Not a chance in hell."

They were seated in a small restaurant, relaxing quietly as they waited for their orders to arrive. At least, as quietly as they could be when one was sadistically tormenting random guys that tried to hit on them.

"At least you didn't get us kicked out," Yoruichi said.

"Well, they haven't brought us the forks yet," Kuukaku answered with a devilish smile on her face. The purple-haired girl just rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of, I hope they hurry up with the food. The night's wasting away here," Yoruichi said, resting her chin on her hand, frowning a little.

"Hey, there's plenty of time, no need to rush."

She was about to respond, when someone else spoke up behind her.

"Hello ladies, you look like you're in a hurry."

She turned her head in time to see a man slide into the seat beside her, his face partially obscured by a wide-brimmed hat.

"Hey, what do you think yo-" she started, but stopped as the man tipped his hat back and looked at her with mischievously twinkling eyes, his stubbled mouth curved in an impish smile.

"Hello beautiful," he said slyly.

It was Kuukaku who recovered first. "Shuunsui, you bastard!"

She reached across the table, pushing his hat back down over his face. Yoruichi broke into laughter, delighted from the unexpected surprise.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, incredulous. It was another voice that answered though.

"We were in the neighbourhood, and saw some familiar faces. I hope we're not bothering you."

The girls looked up as another man took the remaining chair, brushing his long silver hair back as he settled into his seat. Unlike his companion, his amusement was much more subtle.

"Juushiro!" Yoruichi exclaimed.

"How the hell've you been, Ukitake!" Kuukaku said, giving him a friendly punch to the arm.

"Well enough," he answered.

"I think we've got some catching up to do," Shunsui said as he finished repositioning his hat, and waved a waiter over.

* * *

Shifting her book bag to a more comfortable position, Sui-Feng hurried toward the lecture hall for her next class, though her mind was elsewhere. Focusing on school was proving to be difficult, considering class work was no longer on the top of her priority list. It was already five days since she'd been evicted and lost her job, and it was starting to feel like she was running in place. Her outstanding rent bill was still hovering like a knife over her head, and even though there was no set payment date, she knew it was only a matter of time before collectors would be sent to track her down.

She didn't make it back to the apartment 'till midnight, if not later, and barely had anything to show for it. The last few places she'd looked into the night before had better results than an others, though that didn't say very much. Decent appraisals and promises to call were better than outright dismissals, but there were still no guarantees for anything at all. Considering the kind of work she'd applied for, and the pathetic wages, most of those places probably considered anyone who bothered to walk through the door.

No matter how she looked at it, she was getting absolutely nowhere fast, and pretty soon "nowhere" was going to end up being ten feet under.

Walking towards her next class, Sui-Feng was surprised to see several classmates muddling around the doors to the hall, the majority poring over textbooks and notes. The moment of confusion soon changed to dread, as realization struck the Chinese girl.

"_Shit!"_

Quickly running the dates through her head, there was absolutely no doubt: midterm exam. Of course, for the last few days school had been a secondary concern, meaning that she hadn't spent a single minute reviewing.

"_Shit, shit, shit!"_ Sui-Feng swore repeatedly to herself, panic rushing in at full speed. Her every desire was telling her to slam her head into the nearest solid object, as if that would actually deal with the problem at hand and it took monumental effort to fight the instinct. Trying her best to weigh the available options, luck decided to come up short once again as the door to the lecture hall opened and the professor beckoned his class inside.

"_I am so fucked,"_ Sui-Feng lamented, as she mindlessly shuffled with the crowd to enter the room.

* * *

"…and can you believe Shunsui? When's the last time you've seen a girl talk down to him like _that_?"

"When's the last time you've seen him take it?"

Yoruichi turned into driveway, slowing to let the parking lot gate open.

"We ever met her?" Kuukaku asked.

"Never seen her before. She knew Juushiro and Shunsui well enough, though."

"Yeah, and Shunsui seemed to know her plenty well, if you get my drift."

"Ha! Are you serious? She was like a nagging mother the whole time. Man, you should've seen how pissed she got when you and him got into the hard liquor."

Both sharing similar penchants, the Kuukaku and Shunsui had ended the night trying to outdo each other, which didn't have a very pretty result for anyone involved. In the end, the two girls had ended up staying at their friend's place, one practically in a coma and the other not wanting to put any effort into getting them both home.

Pulling into her parking space, the dark-skinned girl shut the engine down and climbed out of her car, the other girl following suit.

"Who would've thought we'd meet those two here, ya know?" Kuukaku said idly, as they were walking into the building.

"No kidding. Small world, right? They haven't changed a bit, either," Yoruichi replied, calling the elevator down. The low chime sounded immediately, and the thick doors to the car slid open. "Can't say that Juushiro was looking any better, though."

They made the trip up in a comfortable silence and made the short walk down the hall, where Yoruichi unlocked the door to her apartment. Stepping inside, she paused when she noticed the lights were on, but the moment of surprise passed quickly. She definitely wasn't used to this arrangement yet.

"Yo, kid, I'm back!" she called out, but didn't bat an eyelash when no response came.

"Oh ho, so the china doll's here?" her friend said in a low voice. They found the girl in the living room, digging through the day's newspaper.

"Miss me?" Yoruichi asked playfully. Sui-Feng looked up and gave a sharp glare that clearly said 'don't talk to me'. Her stare lingered for a few moments as it travelled over to the unexpected visitor, before her eyes narrowed once again.

"Wow, someone's grumpy," Kuukaku said. The Chinese girl just ignored her, looking over her paper again. "Aw, come on. I'm Kuukaku. We met before, but you prolly don't remember me."

"Stop bothering me," Sui-Feng stated with an air of finality, before jabbing her pen down on an ad. Looking over at her friend, Kuukaku rolled her eyes.

"Man, you really need to get this girl lai -" she started, but quickly cut her words short as Yoruichi frantically waved her hand across her throat. Glancing to the side, the dark-skinned girl noted the Chinese girl's grip tightening, and wisely pushed her friend away.

"Please, don't do anything to get me killed," she pleaded when they were out of earshot.

"Hey, I was just joking around," Kuukaku said, feigning ignorance. "I thought you two would be a lot chummier by now."

"I'm kinda tiptoeing around a minefield right now," Yoruichi explained, "Plus she seems a lot angrier today."

"Whatever you say," the dark-haired girl said with a shrug, "Still can't see why you're putting up with this."

"I barely know myself," she muttered under her breath.

"So, you got anything to drink?" Kuukaku said, heading for the kitchen.

"Didn't you kill enough brain cells yesterday?" she asked incredulously. The other girl just chuckled. "There might be something…"

The loud sound of the phone ringing interrupted her, and she quickly pulled out her cellphone. Staring at a blank screen, she wondered if it was a wrong number, when a second ring made her realize that it was the apartment's phone that was getting the call. There weren't many people who knew the number, so she was even more confused.

"Hold up, I gotta get that," she told her friend, and then walked to her bedroom. Plucking the phone from the holder, she held it up to her ear. "If you're selling anything, I'm not interested."

"Uh…I'm sorry, I think I…I must have dialled a wrong number," a quiet, nervous female voice said on the other said, "I…I'm sorry to bother…"

"Hey, hold on. Maybe this is right, your voice is definitely cute enough," Yoruichi flirted, while trying to remember the girl on the line. She couldn't put a face to the voice, though.

"Um…I don't think…" the girl squeaked out.

"Aw, you take the time to call me, and don't even want to chat? I'd love to –"

The playgirl was rudely interrupted when the phone was snatched from her hand and she turned to see the Chinese girl looking both irritated and anxious at the same time.

"Hello?" Sui-Feng asked. After a brief pause, her expression briefly flashed to disappointment, before becoming relieved. "Oh, hey Isane. Sorry about that…"

She shot Yoruichi a venomous glare, who responded with her hands in the air, pleading her innocence.

"It's a long story…No, I haven't had any luck with…Really?...He's looking for…Are you serious?" she conversed, becoming more excited with each pause. "Of course I would!...Right now?...Yeah, that's perfect…Where is it?...Yeah, I know where that is…Thanks Isane, I really owe you big time…I mean it, thank you."

Hanging up, Sui-Feng tossed the receiver to the dark-skinned girl, who fumbled before she managed to catch it.

"Good news, I take it?" Yoruichi asked. The Chinese girl ignored her, dashing out of the bedroom. "Guess so…"

Loud scrabbling sounds came from the living room, as the girl moved hurriedly around. Curious, the dark-skinned girl went to investigate, but was nearly bowled over when she tried peeking into the room. Sui-Feng, dressed in somewhat nicer attire, didn't even notice that she'd nearly tackled the older girl to the ground and wasted no time in rushing out the door, letting it slam loudly behind her.

"What was that about?" Kuukaku asked, emerging from the kitchen. Yoruichi just shrugged, not really sure herself. She was about to make some sarcastic remark, when the front door quickly swung open again, and the Chinese girl popped her head in, glowering meaningfully.

"Hit on my friend again, and I'll kill you," Sui-Feng stated flatly, then slammed the door shut once again. Looking over at her friend, she received an irritating smirk.

"Not a word, Kuukaku."

* * *

"_This can't be the place,"_ the Chinese girl thought, staring down a dark, filthy alleyway. Along the side was a short stairway, which she guessed was her destination. It was definitely where Isane had told her to go though, and the large neon sign hanging out for everyone on the street to see definitely looked right. It was still early evening, so the lights weren't turned on yet, but Sui-Feng could make out the name easily enough.

"_Club 69 - yeah, that's not creepy at all,"_ she scathingly assessed. Still, she trusted Isane well enough, and knew the girl wasn't the type to throw her into something overly salacious. Still…

"_I hope you know what you're getting me into, girl,"_ was her final thought before she took the plunge, hurrying down the grimy staircase before she got cold feet. The door was heavy wood, and took a little effort to move, which didn't help her uneasiness about the place. Slipping inside, she took a quick look around. The floor was heavily scuffed, with several chips and dents on the surface. The walls were noticeably aged and worn, and the paint so faded that she could barely tell the original colour. At least the furniture was serviceable, with several booths lining the walls, and large wooden tables scattering the remaining floor space. The heavy chairs were all flipped upside down, resting on the table-tops, a clear sign the place wasn't open for business just yet. Looking to her right, she noted the large bar counter encompassing half of a wall, with bottles lining the shelves behind it – at least the place was legitimate. All-in-all, it wasn't as bad as her initial assumptions.

"Hello?" Sui-Feng called out, wondering if anyone was around.

"We're closed," a deep, level voice answered back, coming from an open doorway to the side of the bar, presumably where the extra stock was kept.

"My name's Sui-Feng. I was told you were looking to hire," she explained, hoping she hadn't misunderstood. There was a moment of silence, save for a light clinking noise coming from the backroom. Finally, a young man emerged, brushing his hands on his jeans. Sui-Feng wasn't sure what she was expecting, but somehow he was both exactly what she'd imagined and also the complete opposite. The well-defined tattoos on his face along with the distinctive scars crossing his right eye vertically gave him the appearance of a street thug, matching the grungy atmosphere of the room around her. _"At least the name makes sense now,"_ she thought, noting the '69' inked on his left cheek. At the same time, he didn't look like the type to start a fight, or even show much emotion. Of course, she wasn't exactly the best judge of character, and she wasn't looking to find out if she was wrong.

"You're Isane's friend, then?" he asked plainly, looking her straight in the eyes. There was an intensity in his attitude that would have been unnerving to anyone else, but Sui-Feng had met and dealt with much creepier guys in the past. At least his eyes weren't wandering to unwelcome places.

"I am. She called me about an hour ago, told me to hurry down."

"Right," he said, and stepped forward, holding out his hand, "I'm Shuuhei Hisagi, the owner of this place."

"Nice to meet you," Sui-Feng said, shaking his hand with a firm grip. She was a bit surprised to hear that the bar was his. He didn't look much older than her, and the start-up cost for a joint, even a rundown one like this, couldn't have been cheap.

"Well, take a seat," he said, walking over to the nearest table and flipping a chair off the top. She followed suit, taking the adjacent seat. "Have you done any bartending before?"

"Some…" she answered hesitantly. Her usual approach to interviews was to try to spin everything to her advantage, but she was feeling a little torn between personal need and loyalty to her friend. On one hand, this was probably the best shot she had at getting a job anytime soon, and on the other, she had a good friend sticking her neck out for her, and didn't want to reflect badly on her. Ultimately, it was loyalty that won out. "I've poured drinks before, but only as a waitress."

Shuuhei nodded, though he didn't show any signs of approval or disapproval. "Think you can learn it quickly?"

"I think I can manage…" she said, pausing again. Once more, her conscience was nipping at her – or maybe it really was his damn stare getting under her skin – and she felt the need to be fully honest. "Learning new jobs is probably my specialty; I've gone through more than I can remember. It's keeping them that's my problem"

He chuckled at that one, which was encouraging. Sui-Feng managed a weak smile, thinking that she was probably throwing this opportunity out the window.

"So, you have a problem with pressure then?" he asked.

"I can take pressure just fine, I just can't handle the people while I'm under pressure," she said grimly. He gave her an inquiring look, and she started wondering why she even bothered coming here.

"Shit…" she swore, running her hand through her hair, mentally kicking herself, "Okay, I'm not sure what Isane told you about me, but I'm probably the last person you want to hire. I'll be one hell of a pain in the ass for a month, if I even last that long, and then I'll probably end up throwing someone through a table for looking at me funny. I'm…well…damnit, I don't even know what I'm trying to say here. Look, sorry I wasted your time."

She rose to her feet, ready to leave the building, when he said the last thing she ever expected to hear.

"Can you start tomorrow?"

Sui-Feng spun around, with a completely dumbfounded look on her face. "Wha…a-are you serious?"

He still had the same deadpan expression on his face, with no sign that he hadn't meant his words.

"Isane's my cousin, and she was almost begging me to give you a chance. First time she ever asked for something from me, so it must be important," he said simply, and then his lips quirked into a tiny smirk, "And the last girl that worked here broke down crying after a week. If it takes you a whole month to snap, the job's yours."

"I-I…" Sui-Feng stammered uncharacteristically. She was caught somewhere between elation and shock, and part of her was still emphatically stating its disbelief. "…holy shit."

"So do you want the job, or not?"

"Of course!" she yelled out immediately, "You won't regret this – I mean, you probably will regret this – but I'll try not to cause to much damage – I mean, I'll try not to cause _any _damage -"

"_Enough,_" Shuuhei said gruffly. Sui-Feng shut her mouth immediately. "I can't pay more than minimum wage, but you'll get tips."

"That's fine."

"I expect you here on time."

"Of course."

"And I don't care about your attitude, as long as you're not slacking off."

"O…ok?"

"I'll see you at seven-o-clock sharp tomorrow, then."

"Right," she answered keenly, nodding her head. He lifted his arm, and shooed her to the exit with his hand.

"Go on then, I've still got things to do."

She quickly obliged, turning and hurrying out before he started having second thoughts, still not believing her good fortune. As she pushed the heavy door open wide, he called to her one last time.

"And tell that cousin of mine to stop worrying so much, she's still too young for that."

For the first time in days, Sui-Feng managed to laugh.


	6. Trial and Error

**A/N: Wow, new chapter! Does anyone even remember this story? I barely did -_-;;. When the author has to reread the story to remember details, it's definitely been a long time since an update. I thinks it's clear by now that I'm terrible at meeting my own deadlines. Anyway, I'm back, writing again, and hopefully not letting the dust settle for too long in between chapters.**

* * *

Turning lazily, Yoruichi made a muffled whine into her pillow as she became awkwardly entangled in her sheets, her legs twisted up in the fabric. Kicking haphazardly in an attempt to free herself, she only made the situation more uncomfortable. Giving into the inevitable, she simply tossed the blankets aside and resigned to getting up.

Lying on the bed for a few more moments, trying to rub the sleepiness from her eyes, she couldn't help but think that something was missing. Rolling onto her side, she glanced over at her clock, and saw that it was just before ten in the morning, which seemed normal enough. Using an arm to prop herself up, she gradually rose to a sitting position, still trying to shake out the cobwebs that were making her mind sluggish. Belatedly, she realized just how quiet it was in the apartment and glanced around slowly, noting that there was no one trying to break her door down, there was no incessant buzzing to drive her crazy, and most importantly, there was no one around looking ready to dismember her.

"_Well that's screwed up,"_ she thought to herself, wondering why an ordinary morning was so off-putting to her. Slipping out of bed, she sauntered out to the shower to wash up get ready for the day.

When she was presentable and dressed, she headed over to the kitchen, wanting her customary morning milk. Opening the fridge, Yoruichi was a little taken aback when she saw…well, normal fridge stuff. There were a handful of fruits and vegetables, a couple of jars, and all in all just a few usual grocery items. Recognizing the egg carton she'd mistakenly tried to chug down a couple of days ago, she realized that most of the things had been there for awhile, and she had probably been too distracted to consider them at the time. Shrugging, she reached across the top shelf and pulled out a milk carton, closing the door afterwards.

Wandering across the hall and over to the living room, she leaned thoughtfully against the doorway, taking slow sips from the carton. It was a little hard to believe that the Chinese girl had been there for almost a week. True to her word, Sui-Feng had done her best to make sure the two had as little contact as possible over the last few days. Granted, that wasn't too hard a feat, considering that they seemed to live by completely separate clocks, but even the little contact they did have was kept short and succinct – though extremely tense. Still, the girl had done her best to have as little of a presence as possible. If it wasn't for the bedding, folded and stacked neatly behind the sofa, and the small cardboard box tucked discretely in the far corner, it was almost impossible to tell that someone slept in the room every night. Yoruichi noted that even the large stack of newspapers that had steadily collected over the last few days had surreptitiously vanished, likely disposed of.

She smirked to herself, thinking that Sui-Feng was far too rigid for her own good. Not that it made much of a difference to her, though. It was glaringly obvious that their lives didn't have any common ground, and the last thing Yoruichi cared about was how the other girl lived hers.

Walking back to the kitchen, she threw her now empty milk carton into the trash, grabbed her car keys that were sitting on the counter, and headed out of the apartment to meet her friends.

* * *

Scribbling down a few quick notes, Sui-Feng puzzled over the numbers and graphs laid out in the textbook in front of her. Frustrated, she started flipping between pages, looking for a simple, concise explanation for the material, but to no avail. Sometimes, trying to make sense of textbooks was like speaking in a foreign language, and her assignment this week just happened to be one of those times. It didn't help that that she was having troubles focusing, either - at least, that was the excuse she gave herself.

She was currently occupying an entire table at one of the university's study areas, with her course material spread out across the surface in a cluttered mess of paper. Around her, groups of students were scattered around, looking like they were taking their work much less seriously than her, and behind her people were walking to their next classes, chatting amongst themselves as the passed by. Every so often she made out a few brief snippets of conversation, and although she tried her best to ignore them, they just it ended up being another annoying source of distraction to add onto her growing pile of frustration.

Finally fed up, Sui-Feng took her page of feebly attempted answers and crumpled them up into a ball, then roughly lobbed it at the nearest trashcan. Unfortunately, it missed its mark by several centimetres, and plopped weakly onto the floor before bouncing away. She stuck her tongue out at it in defiance, and debated whether she should even bother to get up and throw it away properly.

"Sui-Feng?"

Glancing to the side, the Chinese girl was mildly surprised to see Isane walking over. Unsurprisingly, the white-haired girl bent down to pick up the errant ball of trash, dropping it gently into the garbage can.

"Is everything okay?" the girl asked, as she walked over to the table where Sui-Feng was seated, taking the chair beside her friend.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm just -" the black-haired girl began, but suddenly straightened in her chair, "Shit, what time is it!"

She'd called Isane the night before, wanting to meet her at school, but it had completely slipped her mind.

"It's okay," the other girl said, giggling lightly, "I was just on my way when I saw you here."

"That's good to hear," Sui-Feng said in relief, rubbing at her forehead, "I really need to start getting my act together…"

Isane smiled awkwardly, as she usually did when her friend made comments like that. "So…I hear Shuuhei gave you the job."

The Chinese girl laughed out loudly, drawing a few glances from the people around her. The ridiculousness of the hiring still seemed surreal, and the more she considered it the more impossible it seemed.

"Yeah, he definitely hired me, but I can't tell you why. Either your cousins completely insane, or you've got some amazing pull with him."

"I didn't…I mean, I don't really have any -" Isane began, but was shocked into silence when Sui-Feng reached over and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Don't you dare sell yourself short," Sui-Feng murmured as she continued to hug her friend, squeezing a little tighter. Still dazed at the gesture, the white-haired girl finally managed to return it, albeit with a much softer hold. Pulling away after a few more moments, the Chinese girl smiled sincerely. "You really threw me a lifeline, you know that?"

"Thanks…" Isane murmured softly, scratching her cheek as she blushed slightly, clearly embarrassed. Sui-Feng punched her gently on the arm, a playful frown on her face.

"Hey, what the hell are you thanking me for? I'm the one that's supposed to be kissing your feet," she said coyly, which elicited a giggle from her friend.

"When are you starting?" the taller girl asked.

"Tonight," Sui-Feng replied. She propped her elbow against the table, leaning her head on the palm of her hand, sighing contemplatively. "I hope I don't screw this up."

"Shuuhei's a good person," the white-haired girl said, trying to reassure her friend, "Just be yourself, and I'm sure it'll work out."

"I think that's the last thing I want to do," Sui-Feng replied, her lips curving wistfully, "But thanks for the vote of confidence."

Isane smiled back encouragingly, and glanced down at the table, eyebrows arching slightly as she noticed the mess of papers for the first time.

"Um…homework?" she asked, peering down at some of the hastily scribbled notes, trying to decipher the handwriting.

"Yeah…" the Chinese girl replied, sighing as she remembered the assignment she had been struggling over, "Don't suppose you know economics?"

* * *

"Think Kuukaku's having a yard sale?" Kisuke asked.

"Not that I've heard," Yoruichi replied, as she weaved her way around the footstool that was half-blocking the walkway to the front door. The Shiba home was never one for tidiness or orderly appearances, as the chipped paint and ageing walls on the exterior could attest. It was only Kuukaku and her younger brother that occupied the place, but between the two of them, any amount of repairs would probably be undone within a day. Nonetheless, that afternoon the place was beyond its normal degree of disorganization, with various pieces of furniture scattered haphazardly across the front yard.

"Maybe they're moving again," the young man suggested as he followed his friend, weaving through the makeshift obstacle course.

"I don't think the neighbours have complained enough, yet," the dark-skinned girl replied, as she reached the front door. It was already open a crack and completely unattended, which was normal enough – neither of the siblings worried about intruders very much. Pushing it open wider, the girl called into the house to see if anyone was home. "Hey, you in there?"

"Yeah. Come in!" Kuukaku yelled back, her voice sounding out from a back corner of the house. Yoruichi stepped inside, followed closely by Kisuke, and they slipped their shoes off in the entryway before heading down the hallway to where their friend was presumably ready. The house looked the same as usual, with boxes and various odds-and-ends piled about in a seemingly chaotic manner – though Kuukaku swore that she always knew where everything was – though it still wasn't clear why the front lawn had been recently refurnished.

"I'm almost done here," the black-haired girl called just as they found her in one of the larger rooms at the back of the house – which was notably empty. She was kneeling near one of the walls, filling what looked like a large dent with plaster.

"Well, that explains _where_ all the stuff out front came from, but how about the 'why'?" Yoruichi asked. The girl didn't answer right away, taking a second to scrape her patch job smooth. Standing up abruptly, her joints made an audible cracking, and she groaned as she rolled her shoulders to work the stiffness out of them.

"I told ya, didn't I?" Kuukaku said as she turned around, her hands covered in specks of plaster and dust. "My idiot brother did a number on this room. Lucky he didn't blow up the whole house – 'course, it's probably just a matter of time."

Glancing around, Yoruichi noticed that every wall had similar patches scattered across their surfaces - even the ceiling had a few.

"Yeah, I've been fixing them all day," the black-haired girl said when she saw her friend's eyes wandering around the room. "Gotta wait 'till I can paint over them all."

"So where is the idiot brother right now?" Yoruichi asked.

"Working. Got fired from his last job, so now he's at a convenience store, or somethin'," Kuukaku answered as she wiped off her hands on a rag.

"Hmm, figures. Ready to go then?"

"Yeah, sure. Can't keep Shuunsui waiting, can we? Just let me get cleaned up."

The black-haired girl left the room, heading down the hallway. Glancing around at the walls again, Yoruichi noticed Kisuke, who'd been oddly silent, inspecting the floor.

"Whatcha looking at?" she asked, walking over to get a closer look.

"Just seeing what our dear Kuukaku's been up to," he answered cheerfully, running his finger along the ground, "I'd say…magnesium and…potassium nitrate."

"And what does that mean?"

"Not too much. Just the usual, in fact."

Yoruichi just scratched her head, still completely puzzled.

* * *

Stepping down the small, grungy stairway for the second time in twenty-four hours, Sui-Feng felt a tinge of nervousness; one that she'd been feeling all day, and had been continuously grating at her composure the whole time. The bar owner seemed nice enough, especially given his relation to Isane, but there was no telling what a job was going to be like until she actually started it. Worst case scenario was that she couldn't handle the place at all and would be fired in less than a week. Of course, given the atmosphere of the building, it was probably more likely that she'd fit right in and end up causing a horrendous amount of property damage – which would still get her fired in less than a week.

Standing in front of the heavy wooden door, she breathed deeply a few times to steady herself before pushing it wide open. The place looked the same as yesterday, which wasn't too surprising. The fact that it was still empty at quarter-to-seven was a little odd, though.

"Early on the first day, not bad," an even voice announced as the door shut behind her. Shuuhei was standing behind the bar with his back turned, stocking the shelves up.

"How'd you know it was me?" Sui-Feng asked in confusion.

"Couldn't think of anyone else who'd be so quiet opening the door," he answered flatly. He finished what he was doing, then turned around to face her, grabbing a small stack of papers that had been sitting on the bar counter. "Here's some paperwork you need to fill out and sign. Get it back soon, or I can't start paying you."

She took the forms from him, a little surprised that a place like this was so proper with the legal processes. It probably showed on her face, because his mouth curved downwards in a scowl.

"Hey, I'm not sure what you think about me, but I run my business completely on the level."

"I…right. Sorry," the Chinese girl murmured sheepishly, mentally kicking herself for not keeping her thoughts a little more private. It would've been nice to get off to a good start, for once.

"I didn't bother doing a background check, since Isane vouched for you. I hope there isn't anything I have to worry about," he said, almost rhetorically. Glancing up, Sui-Feng found him watching her with his usual intensity, and she actually had to break eye contact.

"…nothing more than what I've told you about already…just a few minor arrests, no real jail time," she answered truthfully, though she was ashamed to admit it. He didn't answer at first, staring at her intently, but finally nodded his head once.

"Okay then. Sweep the floor and get those chairs off the tables. Things should be picking up in half-an-hour."

Folding the paperwork up and sliding it into her back pocket, Sui-Feng hurried off to start her first night on the job.

* * *

"Hmm, I'd give her a six. Nice curves and a pretty face, but she looks way too overbearing to be any fun."

"Now, now, don't you think you're being a little severe? I'd say she looks like a confident and sophisticated lady - at least an eight."

"Ha, as if! Your scale doesn't even go below seven."

"What can I say? I'm an admirer of the fairer sex," Shuunsui said while smiling impishly, and Yoruichi could only stick her tongue out at him in response.

The nightclub they were at wasn't among the largest in the city, but was definitely among the liveliest, according to the young male. It was certainly packed full for a Thursday night, without an inch of floor space visible on the dance floor. Music was booming out loudly in a fast and steady beat, walls of the private room they'd taken up dulled the sound considerably, and the wall sized window overlooking the main floor was the only direct connection they had with the rest of the club. The room was spacious enough, with large padded seats that were easy to settle into, and a table large enough to hold a sizable group. Currently, though, it was well under capacity. Kisuke had wandered off earlier in the evening and, from the looks of it, was currently entertaining a group of ladies at the bar with his usual childish antics. Kuukaku excused herself from the room a few minutes ago, hopefully for a perfectly innocent reason.

That, for the time being, left Yoruichi, Shuunsui and a third individual who looked like a fish out of water.

"I think this kind of talk is highly inappropriate," the woman stated indignantly, eyeing the dark-skinned girl sharply as though she was somehow the root cause.

"Hmm?" Yoruichi intoned, and rested her chin against the palm of her hand, studying the young woman like a cat stalking a mouse. "I'll give you a six-and-a-half…but a kiss might improve your score."

"I politely decline, Miss Shihoin."

"Oh, my poor little Nanao, I won't let this mean girl abuse you like this," Shuunsui cried out in mock concern, trying to throw his arms around the woman playfully. She offhandedly slapped his arms away with a quick motion, acting as if she'd gone through this routine many times in the past.

"Your concern is unnecessary," the woman stated bluntly, adjusting her glasses with her finger. It was a telltale sign of her annoyance that the dark-skinned girl had noticed early on.

Between her pinned-up hair, round spectacles and stern expression, Nanao Ise looked as every bit uptight as her attitude was. She had introduced herself as Shuunsui's personal assistant, and said that she had been assigned to manage and organize his business affairs. Although, considering his lack of motivation to do anything that seemed remotely like work, it was much more likely that the skirt chaser's business partners were hoping to curb his immature habits. Whatever the intent, Nanao's presence only seemed to encourage the man further, as he seemed to act just as lecherous despite her constant reprimanding...or maybe because of it, since he seemed to her enjoy her reactions. Somehow, Yoruichi doubted the poor woman was being paid enough. Of course, no matter how pitiable her situation might have been, it was still fun as hell to push her buttons.

"Need I remind you," the young assistant started, her lecture directed toward her boss, "that we have a meeting with the executive board tomorrow morning. It is inadvisable for you to be cavorting at this hour when you should be spending the time preparAARING."

Her voice rose to shrill pitch as Yoruichi ran a stocking-covered foot covertly along the inside of her leg. Nanao's cool demeanour was briefly broken as she twitched away, her face showing clear discomfort and annoyance as she glared at the offender. The dark-skinned woman only smiled and batted her eyelashes innocently, pretending that she hadn't done anything.

"Now now, little Nanao," Shuunsui said, placing his hand on the woman's head in what was supposedly a comforting gesture. "You know how dry and crusty those old men are. They can talk about their big numbers to each other, and I can just catch up on my beauty sleep."

She looked utterly scandalized at the suggestion, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly as she tried to comprehend what her boss had said.

"That...that would be _completely_ improper! This is the _highest level of administration_ you're referring to! Such behaviour is absolutely unacceptable."

"Hey, he's still got his job, doesn't he?" Yoruichi commented. "If he hasn't been fired yet, he must be doing something right. Lighten up and live a little. The night's still young, why bother wasting it on all this boring stuff?"

Shuunsui nodded his head in agreement, but his assistant just looked completely dumbfounded, like the words she'd just heard had made her brain shut down. Then, with almost impeccable timing, Kuukaku burst into the room, balancing an entire tray full of shooters. Oblivious to the mood of the room, she slid the drinks down in front of everyone and plopped down into her seat, wearing a wide smile.

"Alright, I'm not lettin' anyone leave here 'til their wobblin' on their feet. And that's means you especially, Miss high-and-mighty."

* * *

"Three beers, a lime margarita and another round of whiskey shots," Sui-Feng called as she made her next round to the bar, grabbing another set of drinks to be hustled off. The building was packed full now, in sharp contrast to the hollow room she'd walked into only a few hours ago. When her new boss had predicted that the place would get busy, he was spot on, with a massive crowd coming in right when he'd said they would, almost like clockwork. Without any time to ease into it, the Chinese girl had been forced to jump head first into the job, and she was scrambling to keep up with everything. Fortunately, her prior experience as a waiter meant she could remember orders well enough, but half of the words being tossed around flew straight over her head. If she lasted long enough, she was going to have to ask Shuuhei what the hell all of these drinks were.

Skirting through the tables and chairs, Sui-Feng carried her latest round of orders to the waiting patrons, trying her best to avoid and ignore anything and anyone else. A large majority of the people here were older men, ones who seemed a little worn and rough around the edges. It was a tad surprising, because they looked like the type that would be regulars; ones that would come back night after night to the same haunts. The club's owner seemed far too young to have built up that kind of customer base, so there had to be some kind of story behind it. Reaching one of the booths at the far end of the building, she quickly placed a few of the drinks she was carrying onto the table. She was ready to hurry off to the next table, but one of the men motioned to her harshly.

"Hey, this ain't mine," he growled, waving his hand dismissively at the glass in front of him. Sui-Feng looked down at it and frowned.

"Sorry...yours is coming," she mumbled, taking the drink back. This wasn't the first time she'd messed up an order that night, and as more and more came in, it was becoming harder and harder to keep track of everything. As she headed off to another table, she heard the man grumbling behind her back.

"This girl ain't much better than the last one. Dunno when the boy's gonna find some real help."

The Chinese girl bristled, but tried her best to swallow her annoyance. She'd been getting offhanded comments like that frequently, like everyone in the room smelled fresh blood and were crowding around for a bite. First day on the job, and she was already being run ragged, with her patience wearing thin. If she wanted to keep her cool while she was working here, it seemed like she'd have to bite her tongue and keep it clamped down hard. Returning to the bar, she started to apologize as she was placing the drink back on the counter.

"Must've screwed up the order, sorry -"

Shuuhei quickly cut her off though, making a quick motion to a table. "That's for table five. The other one for table ten's getting mixed."

Sui-Feng could only blink, and then nodded as she headed to table five. While she was running back and forth, barely managing passable results, her boss never broke a sweat. He was calm and methodical, doing everything as though it was second nature to him. It was getting easier to believe that the entire establishment was owned and run by him alone.

"Thank you, young lady," thanked a middle-aged man when she finally brought the order to the right person. She forced a smile, just glad he wasn't going to get testy because it took too long.

"It's nice to see another pretty face around here. It's far too gloomy with just us cranky old men around," he said. The Chinese girl managed to keep smiling, but couldn't help rolling her eyes when she turned away, and tried to pretend that a guy at least twice her age hadn't been throwing flattery at her.

The rest of the night passed in the same way, without any apparent slowdown until closing time. The only saving grace was that she was so worn down by the end of it, she couldn't even muster up the effort to blow up at anyone. When one-o'-clock hit, and the last of the stragglers managed to stumble their way out, Sui-Feng was dead on her feet, and slumped down into a chair the moment everyone had left.

"Not a bad first night," Shuuhei commented, sitting down across from her.

"Sorry...I'll get to cleaning in a minute," she mumbled out, "My legs just feel like jelly..."

"Take your time," he said, sounding as though this was a standard routine for him. "I'm surprised that you stayed on your feet the whole night. You're the first that's managed to go without a break from start to finish."

Sui-Feng was pleased to hear that, though it didn't do much to soothe her sore muscles. "Is it always like this here?"

"It comes and goes, but yeah, usually. The guys that come here are regulars; they've been coming here for years. For a lot of them, it's like a second home." He paused for a moment, looking almost nostalgic, before his lips quirked into a sardonic smile. "Of course, the nights when I bring in fresh help, they always seem to drink a lot more. Suppose they like seeing what the new hands are made of; I guess you could call it a hazing ritual around here."

The Chinese girl couldn't help but let out a weary chuckle at that. It seemed almost natural that her first night of work had been spent being jerked around by a bunch of bastards with a cruel sense of humour.

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you passed," her boss commented.

"You think?" Sui-Feng asked cynically. She couldn't possibly see how.

"I've seen enough of these guys to read the atmosphere. At the very least, they're not going to make your life a living hell to get you to quit."

"The asses. Couldn't they just tell you to fire me?" she muttered, but smirked a little as she thought about it, and he returned the look.

"Besides, it wasn't bad for a rookie start. If you manage to stick this out long enough, you'll find a system that works, and you won't be running around like a headless chicken. And if you're good with people, it won't take you long to remember their usual orders."

"Well, I'm not sure about that last one, but if this gets easier, I might just make it."

"Can you work again tomorrow, same time?" he asked, and Sui-Feng nodded in agreement. "Okay then. We'll see about a regular schedule after a week."

He rose from his seat, and pulled out a set of bills from his pocket, putting them down on the table in front of her. "Your share of tonight's tip jar. When you can get back up on your feet, give the tables a quick wipe down, then go home and get some sleep."

"Yes sir," she said, and forced herself up.

* * *

Sui-Feng fumbled with the lock to the apartment, barely able to think clearly. She was used to ending the day completely exhausted, but today she felt both mentally _and_ physically spent. Finally getting the door opened, she awkwardly shuffled inside. She wasn't surprised to find her roommate of necessity already home, considering that it was almost two in the morning. Even less surprising was the fact that she apparently had company, given the extra set of shoes sitting by the entrance – not to mention the noises that were coming from the bedroom.

It was a testament to her current state that she only let out a low, mumbled groan at this realization. Stumbling into the living room, she grabbed her blanket and pillow, and hauled them back the way she came. Right now, sleep was top priority, and lying out in the hallway where it was completely quiet was a sacrifice she was easily willing to make.


	7. Breaking Point

**My Beta Reader has apparently vanished off the face of the earth, which is a very confusing and possibly troubling turn of events. While I try to solve this mystery, I figured that I might as well post this chapter in its self-proofread, likely typo-ridden state.**

**So, enjoy. Hopefully without too many errors to wade through.**

* * *

"Um...excuse me...?"

Sui-Feng's eyes opened immediately, and she found herself squinting at a short-haired, blonde girl who was peering down at her, a puzzled and curious look on her face. The Chinese girl wasn't quite able to put two and two together so soon after waking up, but the feeling of rough carpet on her exposed arms quickly reminded her of where she was.

"What time is it?" she mumbled, sitting up abruptly. The other girl took a step back, clearly weirded out that someone had been sleeping in the hallway, especially at the top floor of a somewhat pricy apartment complex.

"It's...uh...just past eight," the girl stammered out, "Um...are you okay?"

"Just peachy," Sui-Feng grumbled, "I managed to get some sleep even with all the noise you two were making."

The blonde girl's face went tomato-red, and her lower lip moved up and down like she was trying to find something to say. Not interested in listening to her, the Chinese girl rose to her feet, tucking her pillow and blanket under an arm. She'd woken up a little later than she had intended, but it wouldn't be too much trouble getting to class on time. Ignoring the stammering behind her, she unlocked the apartment door and marched to the living room to get a change of clothes.

"Oh, were you out there?"

Glancing to the side, Sui-Feng saw her "benefactor" stepping out of the bedroom. She had a bad case of bedhead but was otherwise fully dressed, and seemed to be fully awake.

"I was just leaving again," the Chinese girl said curtly. She had plenty of other scathing retorts running through her mind, but forcefully bit them back. With a quick toss, she threw the bedding she was carrying into a crumpled mess on the couch, then randomly pulled out semi-matching shirt and pants from the box in the corner. Preferring to have some privacy while she changed, especially given present company, she headed off to the bathroom.

"Oh...'kay then," Yoruichi answered. "Hey, did you see anyone on your way in? The girl that was here just ran off in a rush. Not sure why..."

"_Oh yes, who in the right mind would _actually _have things to do?" _Sui-Feng thought caustically. Once again, though, she held back from saying it aloud. Curbing her verbal retaliations wasn't something she was used to doing, but she'd gotten plenty of practice in the last week. Her relations with the other woman were still balancing on a knife's edge, and she figured the best way to avoid any more confrontations was to have as few conversations as possible. Closing the bathroom door behind her, she dressed as quickly as possible, eager to get out of the apartment.

"So, where you headed off to?" the older girl asked as the younger one entered the living room again. The Chinese girl didn't respond, and simply dropping her folded up clothing next to her box. She'd managed to build up a decent stack of laundry over the last week, and she was going to have to find the time to get them washed. It was something to worry about later, though.

"You look like you're in a hurry, got any plans -"

"Unless you really want to hear what I'm thinking, please just shut up and let me get out of here," Sui-Feng snapped, finally fed-up with the attempted small talk. Yoruichi clammed up instantly, wearing a dumbstruck look on her face, as though she hadn't even realized how much she'd been chattering.

"Uh...sorry," she apologized, rubbing the back of her neck.

The Chinese girl didn't bother responding. She grabbed her school bag and stalked off to the kitchen, grabbing a few fruits from the fridge for her breakfast. Then, without another word or even a glance at her roommate, she left the apartment, leaving the long-standing tension just as it had been.

* * *

As much as she would have loved to be worrying about petty domestic issues, a spoiled rich brat with a tendency to annoy her wasn't something that Sui-Feng could be bothered to dwell on. Now that she'd found a job that seemed stable, the only focus on the money front was to save up enough to pay off the months of missed rent that she owed. After that, she had to go searching for another place to stay – preferably before her current situation became more complicated. For the most part, though, her life was getting back on track.

Which just left the school situation in question. She'd thankfully kept up with all her classwork, mostly due to her diligence in getting assignments done as early as possible. However, there was one bit of collateral from the last week of mayhem, which she was dreading as she walked to her first class of the morning.

The midterm that she'd taken a few days ago was expected to be returned today, and all signs pointed to a giant "F". Her marks for the class were usually around average, and losing a large chunk of her final grade really wasn't an option. At this point, the only choice she had was to suck it up and plead her case to get a retake. It wasn't like she didn't have a legitimate excuse...but in the end, it still came down to making excuses.

Settling into her seat, Sui-Feng glanced around at the rest of her class, absentmindedly chewing on her thumbnail. It wasn't that she had a problem with making mistakes; her life seemed to be built off of them, after all. The issue was really about having to justify her problems to someone else, which was something she was always uncomfortable about. She'd grown up believing that her blunders were hers alone, and having to tell some sob story just to get some pity and a second chance never sat well with her.

At the front of the room, the professor said a few words about the results of the test, then started to hand papers back. When her name was called, the Chinese girl took her exam back, only needing a moment to glance at the tally on the front page before she flipped it face-down in disgust. Sometimes, ideals had to be thrown aside in favour of pragmatism, and unfortunately, this was going to be one of them.

* * *

"You came back, nice to see you," Shuuhei said as she walked entered the club. The man had a voice that barely changed in tone, no matter what words he was saying, which made it difficult to tell when he was being serious and when he was joking. All things considered, Sui-Feng was almost sure that he was trying to act humorous. Almost.

"I don't think I had much of a choice," she replied, attempting a smile. Lifting her arm, she showed him the small stack of papers that she was holding. "Here's all the employment forms."

"Thanks for getting them back to me so fast," he said, taking the legal documents from her. He skimmed through them quickly, eyeballing the blank lines to check that they were all filled in.

"Yeah, well, I didn't have much of a choice with this, either."

"Everything looks all right," he confirmed, and walked into the backroom to file them away. "Well, at least you're guaranteed two days pay now."

Once again, it was hard to tell if he was joking or not.

"Alright then, same deal as last night," he stated as he returned, "Things might be a little busier, since it's a Friday, but I'm not expecting..."

His voice trailed off suddenly, and he cast Sui-Feng a scrutinizing look. She could only raise an eyebrow in response.

"Hey, are you feeling all right?" Shuuhei asked, "You look a little run-down."

The Chinese girl was a little taken-aback at the question. Sure, she was feeling tired and cranky, but that wasn't anything out of the norm. It wasn't like she'd been doing anything strenuous for the last few hours either; after wheedling a test retake out of her professor, the rest of her day involved going to the rest of her classes, with the time in between spent hunched over her notes studying. She'd been through worse days.

"I'm fine," she replied dismissively. "I'm not planning on falling flat on my face."

"If you say so. Well, let's get the floor set up then."

"Yes sir."

Sui-Feng headed off to grab the broom, and started sweeping up the dirt and grime covering the hardwood. When the clock on the wall moved its hands to 7:20 she stopped her cleaning, and started moving from table to table, flipping the chairs down onto upright positions. Then, just like clockwork, as it had been the previous night, the building started to fill up steadily until it was packed in tight.

"It's a pleasure to see you again so soon, young miss," one of the patrons greeted as he walked in and took a seat. She recognized him from the previous night, mainly because of his attempts at suave flattery. It wasn't just him that looked familiar, either. Just like she'd guessed, and just like her boss had explained, everyone coming in was a big crowd of regulars. Unfortunately, the faces were about the only things she did remember, and any attempts to pin a drink to the customer failed miserably.

Just like Shuuhei had told her, business seemed a lot slower than the previous night, and somehow the atmosphere of the room felt a lot more civil. People seemed content to let empty glasses sit while they chatted amongst one another, and they were much less interested in giving the new girl a hard time. Still, even with the work being less demanding, Sui-Feng still found herself running back and forth, having just as much trouble as before.

"Here you are," she said as she served out another table's drinks. As she was reaching out to put the glasses down, she accidentally bumped her elbow against the back of the chair, rocking the tray that was balanced in her hand. Before she could catch it, one of the cups tipped over the edge, shattering and spilling on the floor.

"Shit," she swore, "Sorry, I'll get you another one."

"No problem," the patron answered graciously.

Ignoring the sudden furtive glances that were always made when something was dropped, she hurried off to grab a cloth to clean up the mess, stopping briefly to tell Shuuhei that a replacement drink was needed.

By the end of the night, she felt just as exhausted as the last time. At the very least, she'd made it through another shift, though she had managed to to break another glass after the first.

"You know, I don't have a problem with you taking breaks," Shuuhei mentioned as he was closing up. "Sometimes you have to take a breather or two."

"It feels hard to slow down when I'm going full-steam," Sui-Feng replied. She was cleaning up the tables, this time forcing herself to stay on her feet after everyone had left. "Don't worry about me, I can handle it."

"I suppose. Can you work the weekend?"

"Sure," she answered. Truth-be-told, she wanted as many hours as she could get.

"Good. Business starts picking up around five on Saturdays and Sundays, so if you could come in then, that would be great. Oh, and I have another part-timer that works the weekends too, so you'll have someone with experience giving you a hand."

"That's fine by me," she said, as she deposited the last few mugs.

"Okay. See you tomorrow then," he said, giving her a small, off-handed wave, "And make sure you get plenty of sleep."

"Yeah, sure," she said dispassionately, and headed off for the night.

* * *

It was an odd thing for Yoruichi, waking up and finding her roommate still around. It made her feel like she'd gotten up too early, which she hadn't, or that she'd woken up too late, which she didn't. Nevertheless, here she was, getting ready to leave the apartment for the day, and there her awkward house-guest was, sitting in the living room with a textbook out and papers spread all over the coffee table, looking like she was in deep concentration with no plans to move any time soon.

It was a bit interesting how their schedules never seemed to sync up. Granted, the early morning thing was kind of a given, but she couldn't remember a single night where Sui-Feng had come in earlier than her, no matter how late it was. As if to confirm her random musings, the Chinese girl lifted a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle a deep yawn, before returning to her pile of notes. There were dark circles under her eyes, which Yoruichi had noticed the first time she'd met the girl, but they looked a lot more pronounced than before.

She was about to say something, maybe just a quick suggestion for the girl to relax and take it easy, but thought better of it. Her attempts at conversation weren't exactly well-received, and it really wasn't any of her business anyway. It was better not say anything at all, and avoid being a bother.

As silently as possible, she slipped out the front door, not wanting to cause a disturbance as she headed off.

* * *

Working her shoulders back and forth, Sui-Feng tried to ease the cramps that had set in. She'd spent the entire morning and afternoon sitting in the same seat, going over her class notes again, and again, and again. At the very least, it had been a productive use of her time, but she felt like she'd go crazy if she read one more boring paragraph. Luckily enough, the rest of her day would be spent working her ass off for the next few hours until she was comatose, and then she'd get to wake up the next day to start all over again.

Descending the stairs that were starting to feel routine, she leaned against the heavy door to open it easier, no longer feeling apprehensive when she walked into the building.

"Hey, evening," she called as she walked in. Unlike the previous nights, there were already some customers sitting around the bar, chatting casually with her boss. Shuuhei nodded in acknowledgement when she arrived.

"Evening Sui-Feng, good timing. I want you to meet your coworker, she's -"

"Is this her? She's adorable!"

The Chinese girl barely had time to turn around before two arms had wrapped her in a tight embrace. Unfortunately, her assailant was considerably taller, leaving her in the uncomfortable position of being smothered and suffocated by two rather large...objects.

"Rangiku, let her go already."

The grip on Sui-Feng was lessened and she managed to pull away, but an arm was still encircling her shoulders in what was apparently supposed to be camaraderie. At the very least, she managed to get a decent look at the other woman. She had long red hair, which was curled and shining like it'd been meticulously taken care of, and her face was clearly attractive, even with the big, goofy grin she was wearing. Of course, the most obvious feature was the very large anatomy which had been previously blocking the shorter girl's airways.

"You're such a spoilsport, Shuuhei! Don't you know you should never get in the way of two ladies bonding?"

"I'm not paying you to put on live entertainment, you know."

Sui-Feng glanced over and saw some of the men at the bar looking over their shoulders wearing envious looks, and she scowled. When they saw her looking at them, the quickly looked away, a little red-faced.

"Oh, don't mind the sourpuss", the taller woman teased, "I'm Rangiku Matsumoto, by the way. It's going to be so much fun having you as a cute little junior."

With that, she released her hold, hurrying off. The Chinese girl just rolled her eyes; just what was it with other women thinking she was 'cute' anyways? Whatever the case, she was certain that the night was going to be _interesting_, at least, but fun was definitely out of the question.

When the crowds started to come in, though, it quickly became apparent that she'd misjudged things a little. She didn't think it was possible, but the place was packed even tighter than the previous nights. It wasn't a very large building to begin with, but with so many bodies crowding around it felt even smaller, and despite having the two of them running around the tables, the work still seemed like complete chaos. Well, for her, anyway.

Rangiku's work style was just as lackadaisical as had been expected. She waltzed around the room, chatting with the customers, flirting with the men, all-the-while acting like she didn't have a care in the world. And yet, somehow, she was still clearing just as many tables and orders as Sui-Feng was. It was starting to tick her off, a little.

"Hey, what's with that grumpy face," the taller woman exclaimed as they passed each other by. Like usual, the Chinese girl was frowning, though she wasn't sure if it was from anger, frustration, fatigue or a little of each. "Things will go a lot better if you start smiling a little more. Isn't that right?"

She turned to the nearest table as she asked the question, and the men sitting around it all nodded their heads attentively...though Sui-Feng was certain it had a little more to do with how far the woman had leaned forward when she'd talked to them. Ignoring the oh-so-invaluable advice, the new girl just walked away back to the bar, ready to grab the next few rounds.

"Are you doing okay?" Shuuhei asked as she neared him. She raised an eyebrow at the enquiry, not sure what to think of it.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"You're just looking a little wobbly on your feet. Why don't you take a break and get some fresh air? Rangiku can handle things for awhile."

She _was_ feeling, a little heady to be honest, but being told that by someone else really irked her for some reason. "I said I'm fine."

Her boss gave her a look for a moment, then shook his head. "No, head outside and take a fifteen. Boss's orders."

The thought of arguing flashed briefly through Sui-Feng's head, but she dismissed it. Sighing, she left her tray behind the counter, then weaved her way through the crowds to get to the door. She started to climb back up to street level, but thought better of it about halfway up the stairs, and just sat herself down on one of the steps, stretching her legs out to get her sore feet off the ground.

Okay, maybe she was getting a little too worked up, and maybe a bit of cooling off would do her good. Taking a deep breath, she slowly exhaled, watching it turn to vapour in the cool night air. Things had just been hectic lately, and maybe she was a little more tired and grouchy than usual. Once things settled down a bit more, it would hopefully be easier to get a handle on everything.

Not interested in moving, Sui-Feng just sat where she was, trying her best to relax. When she thought the fifteen minutes were up, she pushed herself back to her feet, dusted herself off, and headed back into the bar.

* * *

Yoruichi wasn't really surprised when her apartment door was shoved open at two in the morning and the Chinese girl dragged herself inside. That didn't stop her from jumping a little – she still wasn't used to someone else sharing the place. Peeking out around the corner, she saw the girl stagger through the hallway, looking like she was ready to collapse.

"Wow, you look half-dead," she blurted out without thinking. Sui-Feng probably wasn't cognitive enough to hear her, though.

"Dammit, not from _you, _too," the younger girl growled out, her half-closed eyes turning into a glare. Apparently she _was_ listening.

"Woah," Yoruichi said, holding up her hands to fend off the hostility. "I was just saying -"

"Well don't," the Chinese girl snarled, bristling in anger in spite of her weary appearance.

"Hey, calm down a little. If you don't start taking it easy, you're gonna -"

"Well _sorry_ that some of us have to _work our asses off_ for a living. _Sorry_ that we all can't treat life like one big _joke_ like _you_ do. I'm _so_ sorry that we weren't all born with a silver spoon in our mouths like you, _princess._"

Yoruichi couldn't respond as Sui-Feng exploded, letting off frustrations that seemed to have been gathering and growing for a while. When she'd finished, an awkward silence settled in, and the older girl was far too stunned to think of anything to say.

After what felt like an eternity, the Chinese girl's eyes tempered, opening a little wider in realization of how she'd just acted. She opened her mouth, but no words came out, and she soon looked away ashamedly.

"...shit," the girl finally mumbled out, and turned around, quickly leaving the way she'd just come in.


	8. Breaking Even

**I always have a hard time deciding when to include characters in stories, especially with a cast the size of Bleach's. I don't want to ignore any of them, but at the same time, there's just so many of them, even if you're just counting the more major players. That said, you can be assured that Aizen won't be making a cameo. The mere mention of his name seems to send stories straight into "massive conspiracy" mode.**

**Anyway, enough of my rambling. On with the story!**

* * *

"Hey, can I get a refill?"

"Sure...what were you having?"

"Gin and tonic, no ice."

The Chinese girl grabbed the empty cup, balancing it on her tray as she walked off to the bar. She really wasn't in the mood to be dealing with anyone right now, and hadn't been all day, but she was trying her best to suck it up and hide the panic she was feeling.

Chewing out the person that was throwing you a much-needed lifeline was completely idiotic, no matter the reasoning behind it. As much as she hated the rich girl, there was no denying that her unexpected charity was the only thing that had kept Sui-Feng in some semblance of stability. Hell, if it had been anyone else offering her a roof, her repeated late nights probably would have been too much of an problem, and she wouldn't have been able to keep this job. Even with all the personal issues, she'd been given one hell of a gift horse and she didn't just look it in the mouth, she shot it and buried it in a ditch.

After her tirade last night, she'd high-tailed it away. Of course, with nowhere else to go, especially at that time of night, the only thing she could do was camp out in the building lobby, trying unsuccessfully to get some sleep on an armchair. Once morning broke, she'd walked out the front door to avoid anyone who was leaving for work, and ended up wandering the streets for several hours, with nothing but her discordant thoughts to keep her company. It wasn't until noon that she'd sneaked back into the apartment to grab her school stuff, certain that the older woman had already left. It was pretty pathetic, skulking around to get her own belongings, but she hadn't been ready to deal with the aftermath of her outburst, and still wasn't.

The rest of the day had been spent holed up in a corner of a coffee shop, vainly trying to focus on studying, like she was supposed to. With her mind as distracted as it was, she had probably spent the entire time reading the exact same page over and over again.

She'd hoped work would have been better for her nerves, as strange as that sounded. At the very least, she'd thought that constantly worrying about small problems would have kept her preoccupied, and not thinking about the big one. Unfortunately, that hadn't panned out very well either, and only compounded her coworkers into the issue. Shuuhei, showing his usual perceptiveness, had scrutinized her once again, probably worried that she was going to do something drastic. On the other hand, her other colleague had latched onto her malcontent in an entirely different manner.

"Come on Sui-Feng, smile!" Rangiku exclaimed, sneaking up and grabbing the shorter girl's face, forcing a misshapen grin using her hands. Caught off guard, the Chinese girl stumbled, almost dropping the glasses she was carrying; thankfully, none of them were full.

"Hey! Watch it," she barked, using her free hand to pry the fingers away from her lips.

"If you keep pouting like that, you're going to make everyone else sad, too," the red-haired woman said playfully, "Just think of the terrible service you're giving everyone."

The patrons sitting nearby all chuckled, clearly amused at the antics of the two waitresses. At least _they_ were enjoying themselves. Huffing, Sui-Feng shrugged off the buxom woman, not in the mood for stupid games, and headed back to the bar to queue up her orders.

"I can tell her to stop if she's being too much of a bother," Shuuhei mentioned as she was picking up the next few rounds.

"It's okay," she replied. It wasn't, really, but not so bad that the boss had to intervene. "Besides, she has seniority. Isn't picking on the rookies one of her privileges?"

The man chuckled at that, though she wasn't really joking. "You know, it probably wouldn't hurt to smile more. It might take your mind off things if you try to enjoy yourself."

"...yeah, I'll keep that in mind," Sui-Feng said, walking off again. She had to hand it to her employer, he certainly was calm and collected about everything. Even though she'd been acting bitchy all evening, he still managed to act respectful, even when it wasn't deserved. He even found time to worry about her; though it might just be concern for what she'd do to his establishment. Still, even if she didn't show it, she was grateful. He was a hard person to hate, just like his cousin.

"Here you are," she said as she laid out the glasses in front of another table, and the men around it nodded their thanks before continuing their conversation.

Moving on to another side of the room, her mind drifted off again, returning once again to her current predicament. Maybe it was just a matter of apologizing. It was just an argument, really, nothing big about that. Of course, the problem _was_ more than that. It had been made perfectly clear that their living arrangement was not going to work anymore, or ever, for that matter. It wasn't surprising, really. Sui-Feng had expected it to be an extremely short-lived accommodation, precisely because she couldn't stand anything about that woman. It had only taken a week for the conflict to reach this point, and even if this incident was swept under the rug, the next one would be even worse. No, at this point, the only left to do was try to figure out where she was going to be staying for the next little while.

Lost in thought, she barely heard the heavy front door slam open, or the door chimes tingling...wait, what door chimes?

"Watch it, shrimp."

"S-sorry, I didn't..."

Turning her head, she watched as a giant of a man shoved someone out of his path and walked straight toward the bar, with little regard for anyone else. He certainly looked like he belonged in the place, with a thug-like appearance courtesy of his heavy, faded leather jacket and thick, black bandana that was wrapped around most of his head, including his right eye. There was an air about him, though, that made "thug" a serious understatement. The parts of his face that were showing looked heavily scarred and gaunt, and almost skull-like in appearance. The hair that was uncovered was styled in sharp jagged points, each tipped with small, golden bells; comical on anyone else, but somehow sinister on him. That wasn't even addressing his size, towering well over six feet tall. Whoever he was, he certainly looked like someone spoiling for a fight.

"_Great, just what this place was missing: a complete jerk-ass,"_ Sui-Feng thought to herself, and moved to intercept the brute. Before she could get far, a hand suddenly latched onto her wrist, pulling her back. Looking over, she was surprised to see Rangiku, who was wearing a completely deadpan expression for once.

"That guy's trouble," the read-head explained, her voice deadly serious. "Just avoid him if you can, and let Shuuhei deal with him."

The Chinese girl slowly nodded in agreement, and the grip on her arm was released. She wasn't intimidated by the man, but now wasn't the time or place to be starting a brawl, and given the warning, that was probably the only thing that would come out of a confrontation with him. Turning away to deal with other customers, she noticed that the conversation in the room had lessened. There was still a good deal of noise, but it was notably subdued.

"It's been awhile, Kenpachi," Shuuhei greeted, a subtle edge in his voice, as the man sat down at the counter. Sui-Feng, a bit curious, made sure to stay within hearing distance, which turned out to be unnecessary when the large man's voice boomed out without any restraint.

"Bah! Three months and this hole hasn't shaped up at all. Still nothing but cowards and drunks."

"This place is still on the police watch list after the last time. Cowards and drunks suit me just fine, as long as they aren't causing trouble."

"And that's what's holding you back. What kind of idiot would trade so much _fun_ for _this_ dump? I'm still waiting a _real _fight out of you."

"But that won't be today, Kenpachi. Your usual, then?"

"Hrh, why not."

A mug of beer was planted in front of him, which seemed to keep him pacified. At the very least, he was silent. Moving around the club, Sui-Feng felt an odd tension in the air. Some of it was nervous whispering, some fearful glances, but more than that, everyone seemed to be tense, as though the whole collective group was being threatened. It occurred to her that she was seeing something far different than the normal jovial familiarity that filled the building. Just who was this guy, anyway?

Inevitably, she had to wander back to the bar, but made a point to circle around the long way, just to keep her distance from the giant. As she got close to Shuuhei, he murmured to her in a low voice.

"Try not to be around him. He probably won't do anything, as long as no one else starts anything first."

She nodded, intending to follow his advice, but it wasn't really up to her, unfortunately.

"What's this? You brought in another runt?" the beast of a man roared, laughing raucously. "You're even more pathetic than I thought! Is this the best you can find? Little girls and midgets?"

Sui-Feng bristled, but felt a firm hand on her shoulder as her boss cautioned her away.

"Come on now, Kenpachi. You're not going to start picking on little girls now, are you?" Shuuhei said. She knew he had her best intentions in mind, but the implication was grating.

"If that's the best you've got to offer, I might just have to. You've been slacking, Hisagi. Or have you just gotten soft already?"

The Chinese girl felt the hand holding her stiffen, but she wasn't paying enough attention to her boss for it to mean anything.

"Now you're always running away," the brute snarled, "Just another weakling scared of losing."

"With a mug like yours, you must know all about losing," Sui-Feng growled out. Shuuhei became more forceful, trying to pull her back, but she shrugged off his hold. She knew she was being stupid, knew that this was dangerous, but she wasn't thinking very clearly. Her emotions had been running across the board for awhile now, and the man in front of her had managed to push all the wrong buttons. At that moment, all she saw was a convenient outlet for all her frustrations.

"What's this?" he sneered, "So the little mutt has some bark?"

"What makes you think I'm just talk?"

Behind her, Shuuhei was trying to say something, probably trying to diffuse the situation. He didn't get the chance. Sui-Feng was sure that she'd thrown the first punch, with an arcing right-hand, but the large man countered faster than she thought possible. His fist slammed into her left shoulder, the blow feeling like a sledgehammer, and she was driven backward, her head and back crashing against the wooden shelves.

Despite the throbbing on the back of her skull, her lips drew into a smirk. If the cracking she'd felt under her knuckles was any indication, she'd gotten a solid hit in too. Looking up, her vision a little blurred, she saw the giant stagger to his feet, having fallen from his perch. From the gash across the bridge of his now-crooked nose, she'd clearly broken it, but the injury didn't do much to discourage him. His previously disgusted visage had been replaced with a predatory grin, and he was clearly enjoying himself.

"It looks like I'll have some fun after all!" he roared, his voice shaking with sadistic elation.

Shuuhei was shouting something again, but his words were lost. Adrenaline was already pumping through her at full-force, and she was far too pissed off to care about anything else. Disregarding everything around her, she vaulted over the bar counter, intent on causing as much hurt as possible.

* * *

Idly flipping through channels, Yoruichi tried her best to stave off her lethargy. It had been awhile since she'd just lazed about on the couch, though she was starting to remember why, considering all the garbage that was on the TV. Normally, there were plenty of other things she'd rather be doing this late at night, but her whole day had been rather...awkward, to put it simply. It started with a night that wasn't nearly as restful as it should have been, and was followed by a dose of guilt when she realized her house guest hadn't returned after storming off. In hindsight, it might have been smart to follow the girl after she'd run off, maybe to apologize for...well, something. At the time, though, she'd only thought that opening her big mouth would make things worse.

It was a weird moment of introversion for her, trying to think of the ways she'd managed to piss the girl off so much. Empathy wasn't really her strong point, though, and the best conclusion that she'd come to was that she sucked when it came to living with other people. At the very least, she could have done a better job at playing host. The whole mess probably hadn't made a decent apology for her last screw up, all things considered.

Kisuke and Kuukaku had both had a blast trying to figure out why she was acting distracted all day. Oddly enough, her estranged roommate wasn't the first of their guesses – though the lack of bruises probably had a lot to do with that. In the end, Yoruichi had decided to call it quits, not really enjoying herself all that much, and had headed home early in the night.

When she'd walked into the apartment, she'd seen that her guest's school bag was gone, which implied that the girl had returned at some point during the day. The rest of her stuff was still sitting in the corner, though, which meant she hadn't scared her off completely. Of course, what that meant was another matter entirely.

The last few hours had been spent where she was now, lounging and wasting time, wondering if it was smarter to wait to have a chat with the girl, or if avoiding any contact would be more productive.

The phone started to ring, and she instinctively glanced down at her cellphone, before realizing it was the apartment's line. Pulling herself from the couch, she walked over to the bedroom. There weren't many people people that called her using that number, and she wondered if the call was for Sui-Feng again.

"Hello?" she answered as she picked up the receiver.

"Hi. Is there a Sui-Feng staying there?" a man asked on the other end.

"Yeah. She's kind of out at the moment..."

"I know, I'm her boss. I was wondering if you could come and pick her up?"

"...why?" Yoruichi enquired. Something told her roommate hadn't agreed to this, because she was certain that the suggestion would have been met with directions on exactly where to shove what. Vaguely, she wondered if something had happened to the younger girl.

"It's something of a story, and it'll be easier to explain when you get here."

Considering that they were barely even acquaintances using the loosest definition of the word, being called to help the girl out felt a bit odd. Of course, if she kept feeling like that, then she'd probably be tiptoeing around broken glass for a very long while. Besides, it wasn't like she was doing anything else.

"...yeah, okay. I guess I can do that."

"Great. I'll give you directions..."

* * *

Pulling up to the curb, the dark-skinned girl set the gear shift to park, took the keys from the ignition, and stepped out of the car. Glancing around, she took a moment to look at the surroundings. It was the older, dingier part of town, with a bit of dirt and grime visible in every corner. She'd been around the area enough times to know it, sort of, but it definitely wasn't one of her regular haunts. At the very least, she felt a little uncomfortable being there, considering the time of night, and her mind briefly ran over a few scenarios to explain why Sui-Feng was there and in need of a lift. Still, the streets were quiet and empty enough, but that didn't stop her feeling a little creeped out.

She'd followed the directions she'd been given, but had almost missed the sign hanging from the building since it had been turned off. Club 69 was definitely a questionable name, but she was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Looking around, she spotted the alley entrance she'd been told to look for and walked over to it, peering down the stairs. It was lit, at least, though that didn't do much to calm her nerves. Taking a deep, calming breath, she descended the steps, and stopped at the landing. Not sure if she was just supposed to walk in or not, she decided to knock on the door.

After a few seconds, it opened, and a tall, black-haired, and tattoo-faced man greeted her.

"Er...hi. I'm here for Sui-Feng," she said.

"Right. Come on in," he replied, and she recognized his voice from the phone. He opened the door wider, motioning for her to step inside, and she complied, moving past him into the building. She wasn't sure what she expected to see, but felt a little disappointed when her imagination had overestimated things. It was a bar, and a fairly standard one at that. It was also completely empty, except for a tall redhead – who was very nicely endowed, by the way – mopping up the floor. Of course, her assessment was discounting the overturned table, what looked like a smashed up chair, and a lot of general disarray with glass and furniture scattered in a chaotic manner.

"I'm Shuuhei Hisagi, by the way."

"Hmm?" she intoned, turning her head, "Oh, right. I'm Yoruichi Shihoin. So...uh, what happened here?"

"There was something of a scuffle," he answered simply.

"I can tell. So, I take it Sui-Feng got involved?"

"You could say that. There's a guy who likes to come here and stir up trouble, always looking for a fight. Most people around here know to avoid him, and we usually call the police if he gets too out of hand..."

"And I suppose she didn't know any better?"

"To be honest, I think she did, but just lost it. She's been looking stressed the last few days, and she's been a bit testy. Know anything about that?"

Yoruichi wasn't sure how to answer that. She basically knew the whole story – she practically _was _the whole story – but it wasn't really hers to tell. Besides, it was a little embarrassing in retrospect.

"You don't have to tell me," Shuuhei said when she paused, "If it's none of my business, that's how it is."

"Right," she agreed, "So where is the loose cannon, anyway? Since I'm here, I guess she was hurt...?"

"She's fine. A little battered and bruised, but nothing to worry about. She's just laying down," he said, gesturing over his shoulder to one of the booths further in the club, "Out like a light, actually."

The dark-skinned girl raised an eyebrow questioningly, and he gave an enigmatic smile. Walking over, she peered over the worn-leather seating and found the small Chinese girl curled up and snoring lightly, looking completely oblivious to the trouble she'd taken part in. It was actually a little endearing to look at.

"We managed to break the fight up pretty quickly, all things considered," Shuuhei explained, "Wish I could have stopped the whole thing from starting, but she was faster than I gave her credit for. All-in-all, I think the whole thing lasted less than a minute."

Glancing back at the damage, Yoruichi was a little amazed. "This much in that short a time, huh? And you actually wanted to get between them?"

The man chuckled at that, like he couldn't believe it himself. "I had a bar to save, so I just jumped in and grabbed Sui-Feng. She had the wherewithal not to start hitting me, which I'm grateful for, but it still took a lot of effort to hold her back. Remind me never to get on her bad side...I think the chair was her doing, but I wasn't really paying attention to that."

Smiling from her own experiences, she nodded her agreement. "So the other guy just stopped all nice and calm, too?" she asked sceptically.

"Surprisingly. A few guys grabbed hold of him, but he probably could have tossed them off without any trouble. He just stood there and laughed, though."

"Scary."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Still, he left without any more trouble, and Sui-Feng managed to cool down quickly. I thought it would be best to close up early anyway."

"So, if everything went so smoothly, why's she out cold?"

"She collapsed," Shuuhei said plainly, "I got her to sit down when we were clearing everyone out, but next thing I knew, she just toppled over."

"...shouldn't she be going to a hospital?"

"I thought so, too, but she refused. I didn't want to argue, so we just got her somewhere comfortable, and then she was out like a light."

"Still...I mean, if something's wrong with her..." Yoruichi trailed over, glancing back over to the girl's sleeping form.

"I called my cousin – she's studying to be a doctor – and she thinks it's exhaustion, and Sui-Feng's just been pushing herself to hard. Then I was told she was staying with someone, and to call you and see if you could take her home."

"Huh. Going to a college student for a medical diagnose?"

"Yeah, I know, but she knows Sui-Feng better than me, and I doubt it's anything serious. Just keep an eye on her and try to get her to take it easy. If anything happens, then you can worry about dragging her to a doctor."

"Yeah, just leave that to me," Yoruichi replied sarcastically. It's not like the Chinese girl even wanted to talk to her, let alone listen to her advice. "I can already imagine how that conversation will go."

"Well, like I said, I don't think it's a big deal. Just get her home and let her sleep."

"Right, right. Well, I guess I'd better get her moving then."

"She has some of her stuff here...hey, Rangiku!" he called to the woman who was still slowly cleaning, and her head popped up in attention. "Could you grab Sui-Feng's bag?"

"Sure thing," the red-head replied, acting oddly cheerful in spite of everything. She rushed to the back, and returned with the girl's backpack.

"My cars parked out on the street, you can just dump it in there," Yoruichi said. The woman nodded, bounding off, out of the club. Turning her attention to the sleeping girl, she walked over and shook her lightly on the shoulder.

"Okay, up, you. And try not to kill me when you see me."

Sui-Feng didn't even respond, clearly in a very deep slumber. Sighing, the dark-skinned woman bent over, slipping an arm underneath the Chinese girls legs, and another beneath her shoulders, her forearm supporting her head.

"You need any help?" Shuuhei asked politely.

"Nah, I'm fine," Yoruichi replied, "She's not very heavy."

Lifting gently, she grunted a little as the girl's full weight was placed on her arms, but didn't have any problems carrying her. She briefly thought about how someone with such a tiny frame could cause so much trouble, not to mention damage. Turning around, she looked back at the bar owner, who had walked over to the entrance and was holding the door open for her.

"By the way," he said, "When she's up, tell her I'm giving her the next three days off. I don't want her in here until she can stay on her feet."

"Hmm? Not firing her after all this?"

"After tonight, the guys here would kill me if I let her go," he said, smirking.

She chuckled at that, suddenly wishing that she'd seen everything that had happened. Walking out of the bar, she nodded a farewell to Shuuhei, who returned it. She wasn't really sure what he thought the girls' relationship was like, but by now he probably had a terribly skewed opinion. It didn't really matter that much, though. As she traversed the stairs, she did her best not to bounce her burden around, but still managed to disturb her a little. Shifting in her arms, Sui-Feng's head moved, and ended up lolling backwards. Yoruichi just rolled her eyes at the action. The girl didn't even have the decency to act cute in her sleep.

"You idiot. Just what am I supposed to do with you?"

* * *

With a loud groan, the Chinese girl rolled over as she woke, her whole body feeling like a punching bag. Memories were slowly fed back into her head, and she remembered that she _had_ been a punching bag, but couldn't recall much that had happened afterwards. Plopping her face down in the pillow, she let out another loud groan, but for a different reason this time. She couldn't believe that she had done something so absolutely stupid, and berated herself again and again. Well, there was one more job down the drown...plus she was going to have to explain herself to Isane, too. That wasn't going to be fun in the slightest.

Propping herself up, Sui-Feng was momentarily confused when she realized that she was lying in a bed. Glancing around, the room looked mostly alien to her. As she started to recognize a few things, though, horror started to set in, and she quickly figured out that she was back at the apartment, and in a certain someone's bed. Almost having a panic attack, she scrambled up and out of the sheets, but was soon breathing a huge sigh of relief when she found that she was fully clothed. Unfortunately, that still left a lot of questions open.

Taking another look around, she didn't see any sign of anyone else having been there, which was also comforting. She spotted the alarm clock sitting on the side table with a bright, glowing 8:30 on its face. It didn't mean a whole lot at first, but her mind slowly put two and two together, and it sunk into her muddled head that it was actually Monday morning.

"Shit," she yelled, jumping out of the bed. Of all the days for her to be late, it had to be this one. Rushing into the living room, she scrambled around, frantically looking for her school bag, which wasn't in its usual place.

"Hey, you're up," a voice said behind her, "Morning."

Taking a moment to look over, Sui-Feng saw the dark-skinned girl standing in the doorway, grinning at her.

"Not now," the Chinese girl stated exasperatedly, continuing her search, "I need my bag."

"It's in the kitchen."

Standing up, the younger girl strode out of the room to grab her backpack, but was stopped when a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Hold on. I think you and I need to have a chat before you go anywhere."

Shoulders sagging, she looked down at the ground. She hadn't forgotten about the messy situation here, but had hoped that it could have been put off for a while longer.

"...look, I'm going to be late for my class. You think this... could wait until after?"

"Don't worry about that, I'll drop you off."

"Huh?" Sui-Feng said, a tad confused.

"I'll drop you off. You know, in the car. It'll be faster than you walking."

"O...kay?"

"Alright then," Yoruichi chirped happily, and proceeded to coax the shorter girl into the kitchen, guiding her into a chair at the small dining table.

"So..." the Chinese girl started, but was cut off when a fork and plate were slid in front of her. "Uh...what's this?"

"Breakfast. It's called an omelet," the older girl replied, stating the obvious. She sat down in another chair with a plate of her own. "I know, big surprise, the lazy princess can cook."

Sui-Feng looked away sheepishly. "I meant, what's this for?"

"Well, let's call it the proverbial olive branch." Biting into a forkful of her food, the dark-skinned girl made a pleased sound. "And a tasty one."

Not sure what to make of this, the younger girl was hesitant to say anything else. Picking up her fork, she started to pick at the folded egg in front of her nervously, before finally taking a small bite. She had to admit, it wasn't half bad. At least as good as anything she made.

"So then," Yoruichi stated onerously, "I think it's obvious that you and I have some issues with each other. So, if this is going to work out, we're going to need some solid ground rules."

"Alright," the younger girl murmured in agreement, bracing herself. It was certainly better than the alternative, but she hoped that she could follow through on everything.

"Rule one: No homicide in the living room, the carpet's a bitch to clean."

Sui-Feng started coughing, almost choking on her food, but when her hacking fit stopped, she was laughing in earnest. That she found the comment funny was a testament to how high-strung she'd been over the last few days.

"Hey, a laugh and a smile," Yoruichi said with a grin, "I think that's good progress."

When her giggling finished, the Chinese girl sat back and sighed, eyes trailing up to the ceiling. "Look...I'm sorry."

"Hmm?"

"I know I've been a major bitch, and you didn't really deserve all of it. I mean, I know I have some problems with you, but I guess I've been taking a lot of my other problems out on you, too. So...you know...I'm...sorry. And, uh, about clocking you so many times, too..."

"I dunno, I think I might've deserved those shiners. But, uh...apology accepted, I guess."

"You...guess?" Sui-Feng said, looking the other girl in the eye.

"Actually, I was going to apologize to you," Yoruichi said with a honest smile, "I'm not exactly the easiest person to live with either, and I'm not really used to having someone else around. You've probably got a lot more things to deal with than I do, and I haven't exactly been making things any easier for you. Considering that this was all about fixing up the last few mistakes I made, I can't say I've done a very good job at that."

At those words, Sui-Feng sunk in her chair a little, feeling guilty. "About that...I never really blamed you for all that stuff."

The older girl gave a questioning look at that.

"Well...I mean, most of it was just as much my fault. I was getting kicked out of that apartment anyway, and I was just stalling for time. My job wasn't exactly holding together either. All that crap I said to you...I was just pissed off, and I didn't even expect to see you again. But when you offered me a place to stay, I just thought...you know...that I could take advantage of you for a bit."

Yoruichi looked thoughtful for a moment, leaning back in her chair as she digested those words. However, she soon broke into another happy smile. "Well, nice not to have that hanging over my head anymore. We're still gonna have to figure out how to fix our personality clashes around here, though."

"...you're still letting me stay here?" Sui-Feng asked incredulously.

"Well, I can't just kick you out on the street, can I? Besides," she said, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hand, "I meant what I said last week. I may not be friends with you, but I don't exactly hate you either. So, let's see if we can work out some compromises. I'll try being a more sensitive roommate, and stop being so much of a bother to you. You..."

"...try to be a little more friendly?"

"Well, I definitely won't say no to that. But you're also going to have to stop pushing yourself so hard, because the next time I have to run out in the dead of night and haul your ass back here, I might actually be annoyed."

"You what?"

"Your boss asked me to pick you up after you fainted last night. Let me tell you, you may be small, but carrying you from the parking garage to here without smashing you into anything is not as easy as it sounds."

The Chinese girl groaned as felt the shame growing in her. She couldn't believe that she'd gotten caught in a compromising situation like that.

"Hmm? Is that a blush I see? I think we _are_ making progress here," Yoruichi said teasingly, then started to laugh when she saw the annoyance on the other girls face.

Sui-Feng couldn't resist, and she reached over the table and flicked the older girl on the forehead, which just made her laugh even harder.


	9. Just Talk

"Welcome back," Shuuhei greeted, acting nonchalant as Sui-Feng stepped through the front door. She nodded back in response, not entirely sure what kind of reception she was receiving. It had been a full three days since she'd last been to the place, and there was obviously no sign of the bar brawl from the weekend. She was still surprised that she hadn't been fired on the spot, and had been incredibly sceptical when her roommate had mentioned that she had a shift on Thursday.

"I guess there wasn't any permanent damage?" she asked tentatively.

"Nothing that wasn't easy to clean," he answered casually, "Well, except for the furniture. That chair's coming out of your paycheck, by the way."

He cast her a wry grin with the last remark, letting her know he wasn't actually upset with her.

"That's fair," she answered. "Sorry about all the trouble, I shouldn't have gotten carried away -"

"Don't worry about it," he said sincerely, cutting her off, "This bar's been through a lot worse in its days, and I'd have to be a bad owner to let one fight cause any real problems. And besides, you _did_ warn me in advance."

The Chinese girl chuckled. When she'd said that she'd end up throwing someone through a table, she didn't think it was going to be literal.

"So, who was that guy, anyway? You seemed to know him."

Shuuhei paused, giving her an analyzing stare.

"Uh...only if you want to talk about," she murmured, wondering if she was prying into something sensitive.

"...no, it's fine," he finally said, "But it's a bit of a story."

He grabbed a chair and relaxed into it, and she went to join him.

"Where to start? I guess it was about eight years ago, when I was still in high school. I was a real troublemaker back then, always skipping classes to roam the streets, doing petty things like graffiti or breaking windows. Guess I was trying to be a rebel, or something. Eventually, I started hanging out with others like me, which turned into a small little group of teenaged punks. We thought we were like a genuine gang, but we were really just a bunch of kids that caused trouble."

Sui-Feng tried to imagine him being a delinquent, but, for some reason, couldn't picture him being anything but overly-serious and straight arrow.

"Anyway, that's how I first met him. His name's Kenpachi Zaraki, and he's fairly well known around these parts. As far as anyone knows, he's not a gang member or a hired thug, just a big guy who likes fighting a little too much. I doubt he normally bothers with loud-mouthed teenagers, but a group of wannabe tough-guys is right up his alley. I can't remember when we first ran into him, or where, but I remember him laughing at us the first time he saw us. He didn't take us very seriously, but I guess he didn't have a reason to. We tried to beat him up, all of us – you know what they say about mob mentality, right? He just swatted us aside like flies, like we weren't worth the effort, and told us to stop wasting his time."

"I guess that wasn't the last you saw of him, though," she remarked.

"No. I took it a little too personally, and became obsessed with fighting him. I'd go searching the streets, just for another chance to take him down. I suppose my pride wouldn't let me be dismissed like that. I ran into him a couple more times after that, and he'd beat me just as badly every time. He called me a child, and said I'd never be a real challenge until I started fighting like a man. After that, I started acting like a real street thug, going beyond the childish pranks. Almost did things that I would have regretted for a long time."

"So what changed your mind?"

"I met the owner of this bar."

Sui-Feng gave him a confused look, clearly missing parts of the time line, and Shuuhei just chuckled.

"I told you it was a bit of a story. I think I was seventeen at the time, and at a real low point in my life. I was in the alleyway out back here in a scuffle with someone. I don't remember the reason, or if I even had one, but at some point I pulled a knife and was about to use. Next thing I knew, this big guy clocked me on the head and started yelling at me, telling me to 'stop being a dumbass'. A complete stranger, walking right into the middle of a serious fight to give a lecture."

"Sounds like quite the character."

"He was. After that, I got dragged into working here, supposedly so he could keep an eye on me. "

"When you were seventeen?" Sui-Feng asked sceptically.

"Yeah, I know, not exactly legal. I don't think he really cared much about that, though, and with him watching over me like a hawk, I couldn't exactly getting into trouble. Either way, thanks to him, I really started shaping up."

"Seems a little odd, that he'd do all that for a kid he'd just met."

"Well...I guess it comes with the territory. Around these parts, you get all sorts of people; ones that lost their jobs, ones that are struggling to make a decent living, some that lost family. I don't know when or how it happened, but this bar ended up being a gathering place who've been down on their luck. Most of them know what it's like to go through hard times, and how tough it is to get back on their feet. Maybe he'd gotten a second chance at some point, or maybe he just liked giving a helping hand."

The Chinese girl glanced around the room thoughtfully. She'd noticed that the place was a lot more like a big, slightly discordant family rather than a business. It made sense, in a way.

"So, what happened afterwards?" she asked, "I mean, this Kenpachi guy obviously ran into you a few more times."

"Yeah. He stops in here every once in awhile, sometimes just for a drink, but mostly to see if he can provoke someone. He recognized me, but by that time I was past trying to prove myself with my fists. On the other hand, he's been trying to get another fight ever since. I suppose he thought that I'd toughened up, since I wasn't trying to act like a big shot anymore. Almost ironic, really."

"Huh. Never got fed up, and tried to take him out?"

"I thought about if a few times, but with the old owner here, things never had to come to that. Nowadays I've wised up, and stopped trying to solve everything with my fists," He smirked a little, glancing up at her. "And seeing you two go at it, I'm glad I never tried. All I was ever good for was a rough brawl, but you definitely know what you're doing."

Sui-Feng smiled at that, awkwardly pleased at the compliment. She always knew that she could hold her own in a fight, but usually ended using her skills in all the wrong ways. It was a difficult thing being proud of, especially in front of someone who didn't give in to anger so easily.

"So...what happened to the last owner?" she asked, a little curious. Now that she understood how the place already had such a big following, despite the young owner, she was wondering when and how he'd managed to inherit it.

"Well..." the bar owner started, but was interrupted as the front door swung open, and the first patrons of the night entered. "I guess that will have to wait for for another time."

"Hey, the conquering heroine is back!" one of the men roared out as he spotted the Chinese girl, his mouth spreading into a wide, goofy grin.

"Right, I should probably warn you in advance," Shuuhei murmured, smiling in amusement, "You're going to be getting a lot of that tonight."

Sui-Feng couldn't help grinning as she rose out of her chair, ready to start another night of work.

* * *

Grunting as she shifted the heavy box in her arms, Yoruichi slowly clambered up the basement stairs. It was her fourth trip already, and her arms were already starting to feel sore. She glanced up the to the top of the stairwell, where Kuukaku had already reached the main floor.

"You know," she whined, "When you called me over here, I was expecting something a lot less labour intensive."

"Well, what're friends for if you can't mooch free work out of 'em," the black-haired woman called back, clearly enjoying her friend's misery.

"I thought your brother was supposed to be the dumb muscle in the family. Where the hell is he?" the purple-haired girl complained, huffing as she lifted her load up the last step, and started dragging her feet down the hallway.

"I told ya already, he's got some stupid part time job," Kuukaku said, "Didn't expect him to keep it fer so long, but he's gettin' obsessed with it. Dunno why, he's just a damn convenience store clerk."

"Okay, then what about Kisuke? You could've gotten him off his lazy ass instead of me."

"And miss your pleasant company? 'Sides, I called him, he said he was busy with somethin'."

"Probably lying just to skip this," Yoruichi muttered to herself, lugging her cargo through the front door. Stumbling toward the van parked in the driveway, she finally heaved the box into the back, then leaned against the side of the vehicle to catch her breath. "What in the world is making those things so heavy?"

"Just 'n order fer tomorrow. C'mon, just one more trip."

"Yeah, yeah," the purple-haired girl said, standing upright again to follow her friend back down to the basement. "I was gonna pick up groceries tonight, but after this, I might just pass."

"Groceries? What for?" Kuukake asked.

"The roommate. I figure it'd be good to stock up on some food."

"Oh really? Already stooped to appeasing the spitfire, have ya?" the black-haired woman said, teasing her friend.

"Hey," Yoruichi said indignantly, "I'll have you know we're actually getting along now."

"...really," the other girl said flatly, clearly not believing it.

"Yes, really," the dark-skinned girl confirmed proudly. Then promptly sighed. "Okay, we've gotten past the angry, painful part, at least."

Kuukaku just laughed in amusement. "Not sure why yer even botherin'. Woulda been better just to leave her alone and outta your hair."

A large part of Yoruichi agreed with the sentiment. She hadn't been lying about the home situation, though. After their little talk at the beginning of the week, things had been...peaceful, at the very least. Her roommate was still mostly tight lipped, which was to be expected, but when she did talk, there was a noticeable effort to be pleasant – emphasis on the effort, and less on the pleasantries.

She'd even managed to get the girl to watch some TV with her, even though she'd been grumpy about it. Well, then again, Yoruichi had to badger her into it, so the animosity was understandable. But really, who in the world did school work when they were supposed to be relaxing and recovering?

"Here ya go!" Kuukaku said, with a little too much enthusiasm, as she handed another box over. "Last one, then we can go and get drunk."

"Hmm? That sounds just great for _you_, but how is that supposed to pay _me _back for all this?"

"Huh? Why the hell would I bother payin' ya back?"

"...right, forget I asked," Yoruichi mumbled out, and made a mental note not to get too plastered, lest she end up with another troublesome girl.

* * *

"Really, Isane, I'm fine," Sui-Feng protested, while she stared at her friend. It wasn't really her choice to do so, but given that her friend was right in her face holding her eyelids open, she didn't really have any other option.

"I think the redness has gone down," the white-haired girl analyzed, intently studying her subject.

"I told you, I'm fine. I got some actual sleep the last few days, and I've stayed off my feet, for the most part."

"Well...okay," Isane accepted, finally leaning back and ending her scrutinizing.

After the fainting incident on the weekend, the medical-student-in-training had been providing constant checkups – unrequested, of course. What she lacked in actual experience and expertise, she certainly made up for in focus. It had gotten a bit tedious after a while, but thankfully Sui-Feng was in a mood to actually put up with it. Getting a normal amount of rest had a lot to do with her calmer disposition, but that wasn't everything. She'd managed to get a decent mark on her retaken test, in spite of all the problems over the weekend. Work had gone smoothly as well, and had been a lot easier since her legs hadn't been lead weights. Even the inane banter from customers had been enjoyable, considering they had spent so much time praising her.

Most important, though, was the mess that was her living environment being largely cleared up. With the looming threat of eviction mostly gone, she didn't feel anxious and awkward every time she was in that apartment. Of course, her benefactor was still irritating, almost without exception, but now that Sui-Feng's stress levels were down significantly, the annoyance wasn't nearly as rage inciting. She was even able to tolerate her roommate's presence for extended periods of time.

"I still want Shuuhei to make sure you're not pushing yourself too hard," the white-haired girl said.

"You worry too much."

"Well, you really need to take better care of yourself," she advised, her brow furrowing a little.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Sui-Feng conceded, "You're gonna make a great mother some day, you know that?"

Isane just stared blankly as she processed that, but a slow blush began to creep along her cheeks, and she quickly ducked her head down. It was an odd reaction, and not entirely warranted given the comment.

"Hey, uh...you're not actually going to be a mother, are you?" the Chinese girl asked, hazarding a wild guess.

"NO!" the white-haired girl yelled in immediate denial, her head jerking up so she was looking straight forward again. Her face was tomato-red by this point.

"Hmm...just imagining kids then? Got someone you like?"

The girl didn't answer that, and just hid her face once more.

* * *

"Hey, Kuukaku."

"WHAT? I can't hear you!"

Yoruichi pulled away from her cellphone, wincing as the yelling from the other end of the line pierced her ear. From what she could hear, there was a lot of loud noise reverberating in the background, some of it sounding almost like music.

"It's Yoruichi!" she yelled back, wondering if her friend could even hear her.

"I know, I've got call display ya dumbass. Whatdya want?"

"Are you free tonight?" she asked, even though the question seemed rather stupid at this point.

"I'm still with my client."

"I thought your delivery was this afternoon?"

"Well, his crew was throwin' a dinner or somethin', so he invited me along."

"Oh...well, alright."

Sighing, Yoruichi hung up, and sunk back down into the sofa. It was Friday evening, and she was bored out of her mind. She'd already called Kisuke several times, but had only gotten his voice mail. Kuukaku was clearly a no-go as well. Briefly, she considered giving Shunsui a call, but doubted that he could make plans on such short notice. Unless she wanted to go around clubbing on her own, which felt a little lame, it looked like it was going to be a dull start to the weekend in front of the TV.

As she was considering flipping a coin to solve her dilemma, she heard the front door unlock, followed by soft footfalls as someone entered.

"I'm back," Sui-Feng called out in a muted tone. The fact that she was actually saying hello was a nice step forward, even if she was completely emotionless about it.

"Welcome back," Yoruichi greeted, with far more enthusiasm. The Chinese girl walked into the living room to drop off her school bag, and cast a glance to the sofa where she was lounging, before wandering toward the kitchen. It was hard read the girl's body language, so the look could have meant anything. Of course, the safest assumption was probably annoyance.

Scratching her head, the purple-haired girl thought on her inability to understand her roommate. It was definitely a hassle, trying to do her best not to offend the girl without being able to understand her reactions. Granted, it's wasn't like she knew much about her in the first place.

Then, Yoruichi smiled suddenly, coming up with an idea to solve two problems at once.

"Hey, Sui-Feng?" she called out.

"...what?"

"You doing anything tonight?"

"...why?" the Chinese girl asked as she came back into the living room, wearing a suspicious frown on her face.

"Well, I just figured that you and I should get to know each other better," the older girl answered jovially. Her roommate scowled, clearly not entertained by the idea.

"I have homework to do."

"It's Friday. It can wait, can't it?"

"I'm working Saturday and Sunday."

"But not the whole time, right? C'mon, you're supposed to be taking some time to relax, aren't you? Don't wanna end up taking a nap on the floor again," Yoruichi said in a lightly teasing tone.

"...and if I said that I just don't want to?"

The older girl bounced up to her feet with an impish smile. Now that she knew that her roommate's schedule really was free, she just had to do a little convincing.

"Nonsense. The best way to get through your troubles is through some friendly female bonding. It'll be fun, I promise!"

Sui-Feng's eye twitched, which was definitely a warning sign.

"I'll tell you what," Yoruichi said quickly, "I know you have to be hungry. Let's grab a bite to eat, my treat."

The Chinese girl looked like she was going to flat-out refuse, even opening her mouth to speak, but had a change of heart. With a loud sigh and a roll of her eyes, she relented.

"Fine. Let's get this over with."

"Alright!" the purple-haired girl said gleefully, "Just let me grab my coat."

* * *

"Not exactly what I was expecting," Sui-Feng commented, as she viewed the exterior of the restaurant - though it was probably more apt to call it a stall. It was little more than a small kitchen in the wall, with a lone cook manning the counter, and with a few shoddy looking seating areas covered by a large awning, completely open to the passing crowds. It was mostly empty, with only one customer presently slurping away at a bowl. From the look of the menu, which was written in thick, colourful ink on a cardboard sign, they didn't seem to serve anything except noodles and soup.

"I figured you'd prefer something low-key," Yoruichi replied.

"Gee, thanks."

She actually did feel more comfortable eating here instead of an actual eatery. It felt far more casual, and she wouldn't feel as awkward if she just got up and left at any point. Of course, she wasn't about to mention these things.

"I had a date take me here once," the older girl explained, "The food was good. The date, not so much."

Feeling much more uncomfortable after hearing that, the Chinese girl didn't say anything further, and stepped forward to take her order, picking some soup-thing with fish. Her roommate placed her own, paying for the both of them, and soon they were seated across from each other at a wobbly table, with cheap plastic bowls that were filled and steaming away. Eyeing her meal, Sui-Feng supposed that it looked edible, and tentatively grabbed a noodle with her chopsticks, taking a cautious bite.

"Not bad," she said. It was actually quite tasty, and a lot better than what she'd expected for the price.

"Hmm? Sounds like high praise, from you," Yoruichi declared with a smile, then happily started digging into her own dinner with gusto.

They ate in silence for several minutes, and the younger girl was taking her time and nibbling. Eventually, she decided just to get things over with. She'd already been through one share-and-tell session the previous night, and this one didn't interest her in the slightest.

"So?" she asked.

"Hmm?" the purple-haired girl hummed, in the middle of a mouthful.

"You dragged me out here, so let's get this over with."

"Aw, don't be like that. Since we're stuck with each other, it couldn't hurt to learn a thing or two."

"Such as?"

"I dunno, anything. Like...what are you going to school for?"

"Business," Sui-Feng answered quickly and automatically. She took another mouthful of her soup, and glanced back up to see the other girl giving her a look. "What?"

"It's not gonna be much of a conversation if you keep things short and sweet like that."

"Fine," she sighed. "I want a job in management, or something. Just as long as I can get a decent paycheck from it. I figured a business degree's the easiest way to get there."

"Okay, your turn."

"Huh?"

"Now you ask me something."

The Chinese girl rolled her eyes, thinking about how stupid this whole thing was. If she was going to have to go through with it, though, she was going to be as asinine as possible. "Alright then...where'd all your money come from?"

Yoruichi cocked her head to the side in amusement. "Well, you certainly don't beat around the bush. My father started up some company, and it turned into a big corporation. Both my parents died when I was young, leaving me with a bunch of caretakers and a nice trust fund."

Sui-Feng nodded her head in affirmation. She figured it was something like that. Almost had to be, considering how the princess acted.

"Okay, my turn again," the older girl stated, and held a finger to her chin in thought, "Hmm...I know. Tell me a secret of yours."

"What kind of question is that?" the shorter girl asked incredulously.

"I'unno, I was just wondering what kind of thing you'd tell me."

"...fine, whatever," Sui-Feng said, wondering if the woman was being intentionally arbitrary to avoid angering her with personal questions. Then again, that was probably giving her too much credit. She grasped about for something simple she could say. "My real name's actually Shaolin."

"Really? So why don't you go by that?" Yoruichi asked, "Though, I can't blame you for wanting to be called something else."

"It's a perfectly good name," the Chinese girl growled, giving a menacing glare. The other girl just laughed.

"Sorry, sorry. It's a great name. So, what's with the nickname then?"

"It's based on something my friends called me in high school...and don't you dare look up the meaning, or I'll kill you."

The older girl laughed again, clearly enjoying herself. "Alright, I won't. Cross my heart. So, if you don't like it, why do you want everyone to call you it?"

Sui-Feng hesitated, the question touching on something more private. "Things happened, and my birth name didn't seem to fit anymore."

"Things like what?" Yoruichi asked. The younger girl stayed silent, glancing to the side. "Ah...a little too personal? Never mind, no point in getting you all upset about it. You know what they say, curiosity killed the -"

"That's two questions."

"Hmm?"

"That's subject number two," the black-haired girl said, with a small smirk, "It's my turn again."

The older girl grinned. "Right you are. Ask away."

"So, if you inherited all your dad's stuff, why aren't you being groomed to head his company?"

"Ah, now that's a fun story," Yoruichi said nostalgically, "They tried to do that when I was really young. Born and bred for the business, or something like that. Went to private schools when I was a kid, the kind you need big bucks for. Can't say I cared for it much, and I think I spent most of my childhood running away from teachers trying to whack me with canes. Either way, between my guardians, relatives, and all those majority stockholders, I was forced to go through the stuffy education straight to middle school. After that, they finally gave up, and tried a different approach."

"Which was?" Sui-Feng asked after a brief pause.

"That's another question," the dark-skinned girl said with a wink, "How about you? I'm sure a girl like you would've fit right into those preppy schools."

"Hardly," the Chinese girl answered automatically. The words were flowing easily now, and she wasn't even considering keeping quiet. "I was a real tomboy when I was growing up. Played sports, got into trouble with my friends, probably got into more scuffles than I should have...barely even cared about school. Wasn't until my final year that I had to reconsider things..."

"Same problem that caused the name thing?" Yoruichi asked, then playfully rapped the side of her head. "Whoops, second question again. Drat."

Sui-Feng actually smiled a little. It was actually a little cathartic to talk like this, treating everything like it was a big joke. "Okay, so what happened after your middle school years?"

"The effects of puberty came on in full force," the older girl answered, then giggled when her companion rolled her eyes. "Hey, I'm serious. Once all those corporate bigwigs figured out I wasn't going to be some shining business prodigy, they started trying to hook me up with their sons. They were subtle about it, but there's only so many times you can be introduced to their marriageable offspring before even a kid like me figured it out. Guess they thought if I wasn't going to be a suitable heir, then they'd take the seat themselves by getting me into their family."

"It clearly didn't work out, though."

"Yup. I did what any self-respecting teenager would do when some sleazebag adult is trying to screw with them – give payback in full. So, I hit on their daughters instead."

The Chinese girl made a half-snorting noise, sounding like she was trying to hold back a laugh, but was failing. Eventually she just gave in, and doubled over in mirth.

Yoruichi just smiled, and waited for the girl to recover before she finished. "Yup, it was definitely a sight, seeing those stodgy old men fighting between their self-interest and their beliefs. Most of them gave into greed, and even encouraged their precious little girls to try and seduce me. After a year or so they eventually wised up, and realized I was just putting on an act to mess with them."

She leaned against her hand, with a whimsical look on her face. "And when they finally gave up on me, I realized it _wasn't_ an act. Turned out that even with all the false pretences on both sides, I actually had a lot more fun with the girls than the guys. Go figure, huh?"

Sui-Feng didn't say anything, but was a little thoughtful at the moment. She'd wondered how much of the playgirl's habits were purely impulsive, and was a little surprised to hear how introspective she actually was.

"Well, I think I just cleared through three questions at once," Yoruichi stated, jumping right back into her playful personality, "So, that means I get to -"

"I got emancipated when I was seventeen," the Chinese girl said abruptly.

"What?" the older girl asked, confused.

"The name thing, and my last year of high school," Sui-Feng explained, "My dad was in the army, and got shipped out when I sixteen. He came back in the fall of my graduation year, and he was...different. I think they call it shell shock or something, but all I know is that he couldn't adjust to normal life again. He started to drink a lot, and got really violent. Last I heard, he's in a mental ward after he stabbed someone. And Mom...she didn't know how to handle him, and started turning to all sorts of things. When I left, she'd been in and out of rehab three times."

"I'm sorry," Yoruichi said sympathetically.

"Pft. That makes one of us. Don't think I've ever felt sad about the whole situation, just...disappointed," she said stoically, "So that's my story. I got out as soon as I could, started working, paid for my own living, and got a court order as soon as possible, all while I was still pushing through school."

The table fell silent for a little while, and the Chinese girl slowly picked at her noodles. The older girl was starting to act all sensitive, looking torn between staying silent and attempting to be comforting, and it ticked Sui-Feng off a little. She wasn't some kid that need to be babied; things happened in her life, and that's all there was to it. There wasn't any point in trying to smooth over the details.

"Next question," she announced, finally fed up with the atmosphere, "Your first time."

Yoruichi looked startled. "What do you mean?"

"What do you think I mean? Even someone like you has to remember their first."

"Oh, right," the dark-skinned girl said, looking grateful for the change in subject. "Tenth grade, one of the company daughters – only one that actually liked me, I think. I had to break it off fairly quickly though, because her daddy started getting a little too serious about it. How about you?"

Sui-Feng started coughing as a noodle went down the wrong way.

"Hey, you were the one that brought this up," the older girl said mockingly, "Don't start getting prudish on me now."

"Ninth grade..." she muttered, "Boyfriend. Not much of a story."

"Wow, beat me out be a whole year. Who would've imagined that?"

"Like I said, there's not much to talk about."

"Hmm, that bad?" Yoruichi teased, and got a very nasty look for it. Then her mouth curled into a cat-like grin. "So how did I compare?"

"What?" Sui-Feng yelled, her eye twitching dangerously.

"Well, I was kinda wondering if I still have my game when I'm wasted."

The Chinese girl felt a rapidly growing urge to slap the smug smile right off the idiot's face. Of course, the rational part of her knew that the woman was intentionally trying to get a rise out of her, for whatever unfathomable reason, and she'd be damned before she gave in. Unfortunately, her internal struggles must have been showing on her face, because the older girl broke her act in a fit of laughter.

"Yeah, whatever," Sui-Feng muttered gruffly, digging into her soup again, trying to think of something witty to say in order to save face. In mid-thought, though, her attention was caught by an odd sound.

"Do you hear bells?" she asked suddenly, leaning over to get a better look down the street. She could have sworn that she recognized the ringing, but the coincidence seemed far too convenient.

"What? No, I don't think so. Why?"

"Shh," she said, straining her ears. She heard the distinctive tinkling once again, and finally spotted her target a little ways away. His back was turned, but there was no way to mistake him for someone else.

"I hope you know how to book it," she said, standing up.

"...what are you doing?" Yoruichi asked, sounding slightly worried. Her fears were somewhat justified, because a few moments later she was sprinting down the street, with the Chinese girl right in front of her.

"Who the hell was that?" she yelled out.

"I'll tell you later," Sui-Feng called back over her shoulder.

"That guy was huge! I can't believe you just threw your soup at him!"

"He had it coming."

"He's going to kill us!"

"That's why I'm running."

"You think we can outrun him?"

"I just have to outrun _you_."

The Chinese girl smirked as her legs carried her forward. In spite of her misgivings, she supposed that the trip hadn't been a total waste. She was suddenly left dumbfounded, though, when she was passed in mid-stride.

"Forget that, you can be the bait!" Yoruichi shouted as she increased the gap between them.

Shocked, but determined not to be beaten by a spoiled princess, Sui-Feng increased her pace, not even noticing that she was smiling.


	10. Old Friends and New Faces

**That's right, there's finally a new update to this story, after far too long. This chapter sat half-finished for the longest time, but now it's here. Many apologies, so sorry for the massive delay. Hopefully, hopefully, the next one won't be anywhere near as far off.**

* * *

"Okay, next is the one with mint. Remember that one?"

"Uh...is that a...Mai Tai?"

"No, that's a Mojito. Mai Tai has the pineapple slice."

"Right...so which one has the olive in it?"

"Come on, you should at least know a Martini."

"Well, sorry for not knowing my fancy drinks. The only thing I cared about was if it got me drunk or not..."

Growling in frustration, Sui-Feng leaned her head back and rubbed at her head, wondering why her memory wasn't working properly. It was late Saturday night, after the bar had closed its doors. Rangiku had already left, mentioning that someone was waiting for her, which just left the Chinese girl and her boss. Presently, they were sitting at the bar, reviewing all the drinks that she probably should have figured out by now. Given the number of times Shuuhei had to correct her, she wasn't getting any closer to to learning them.

"You'll get it eventually," he said sensibly, "I've been making these things for years, and Rangiku probably drank them each a few hundred times over. You haven't even worked here a month yet, no need to rush."

"Yeah, I guess," she said wearily, but it was still annoying to get confused over something as simple as a drink order. "Goodnight, then."

"You too. I'll see you Wednesday."

Sui-Feng grabbed her coat off the bar counter, slipping it on as she headed out of the building. As she stepped out through the door, though, she immediately felt the brisk chill of the mid-November night, even with the extra layer. Rubbing at her arms a little, she started walking at a brisk pace to get her blood flowing. She was already used to the trek back to the apartment by now, and her feet basically knew the way on their own, which gave her plenty of time to let her mind wander.

Her first thoughts were about dressing warmer, now that winter was starting to set in, and about how those stupid drinks were being such a pain to remember. When she realized what she was doing, though, she almost had to laugh out loud. After all, worrying about the weather and a bar menu seemed practically mundane, all things considered.

It was amazing how much had happened in just over a month. Her life hadn't really been stable before, but for awhile there it seemed like a hurricane had just swept in and whipped everything out from under her. She'd been thrown around with no clear landing in sight, but when she'd finally gotten her feet planted again, things had turned out surprisingly well.

A faint smile ran across her lips, as she played everything back in her head. Some of her recent good fortunes could be attributed to luck, but she was smart enough to realize that she'd received a lot of help over the last few weeks – even from the most unlikely sources. She was going to have to find a way to pay them all back, somehow.

Turning the last street corner, she barely noticed as a passing car slowed to a crawl, but didn't pay it much heed...at first.

"Hey there, beautiful! What's a pretty lady like you doing walking all alone at night?"

Sui-Feng didn't need to bother looking to know who was calling to her, which was a good thing, because her immediate reaction was to roll her eyes.

"I thought you'd have better places to pick up dates than a street corner," she said, glancing to the side where her roommate was grinning cheekily at her. There was a bite to her words, much like usual, but it was notably dulled by the lazy smirk playing on her face.

"Hop in," Yoruichi said, apparently taking no offence to the quip, and pulled her car up to the curb.

"It's only a few blocks," the younger girl replied.

"Yeah, but I'd feel stupid just driving past you."

A few snarky responses immediately came to mind, but they were brushed aside quickly. Sui-Feng really didn't have a reason to turn down the offer, and was just protesting for the sake of it. Shrugging, she walked over to the car and opened the passenger-side door, sliding into the leather seating.

"Isn't it a little cold to still be driving a convertible?" she commented as the car pulled away from the sidewalk.

"Gotta take advantage of the clear skies while they're still here," the older girl answered, "Why, too cold for you?"

"Hardly," Sui-Feng said stolidly, just as a unwelcome shiver ran through her. Her eyes quickly glared to the side, daring the other woman to say something. Yoruichi just grinned, probably having a quiet laugh to herself. As expected, the ride was short, taking less than a minute to reach the apartment.

"So how was work?" the dark-skinned girl asked, making small talk as she slowed the car, pulling into the apartment's parking garage.

"Normal," the she answered. For other people, that might have been a generic answer. When the older girl chuckled at the words, though, the Chinese girl noted that she wasn't the only one in on the joke.

"So you're free tomorrow, then?" the older girl continued, as she pulled into her parking stall.

That was a rather odd conclusion to draw. Then again, most of her 'non-normal' days tended to have some rather problematic ripple effects, so maybe it wasn't such a bad assumption. More importantly, though, was why it mattered if she had the day off or not? Not really liking where the question was leading, Sui-Feng decided to give a noncommittal answer.

"That depends..."

"..on how terrible my suggestion sounds?" Yoruichi finished, knowingly. "Well, I doubt you're going to be thrilled about it."

"So why bother asking?"

"Aww, don't be like that," the older girl pouted, giving a mock attempt at puppy-dog eyes. The Chinese girl just rolled her eyes, getting out of the car.

"Well, you might as well tell me what this is about."

"...really?"

"Didn't say I'd agree."

"Right..." the other girl said, as she finished locking up her vehicle. "Well, my friend gave me some dumb call about a 'grand opening' that I 'have to come to'."

"And why do I care?"

"Like I said, you won't...but your name got mentioned at some point, and he started insisting that you come along too. I probably should've said no on the spot, but once he gets an idea in his head, he can be obnoxiously persistent."

"Why does _that_ sound familiar?"

"Hmm?" Yoruichi asked, not quite hearing the words that were muttered under breath.

"Nothing. Have I seen him before?"

"Err...you might've seen him scampering off. Then again, I doubt you were paying attention at the time..."

During the elevator ride up to the top floor of the building, Sui-Feng didn't say anything. Her initial thought was to just say no, like usual. Truth be told, though, she really was free the next day, having Sunday off from school and work. She could've made some excuse about homework or studying, but that something like that would be quickly scoffed at. Hell, she didn't even _have_ to make an excuse. It wasn't like she was obligated to accept every request that was made to her, and the older girl almost said outright that the whole thing was going to be one big pain in the ass.

Still, there was one little voice in the back of her head asking 'why not?' It wasn't too often that she got to do things just for the hell of it. And besides, she was probably going to meet the guy eventually; better to do it when she wasn't going to be surprised.

"Fine. I'll go," she said finally, just as the elevator chimed and the doors slid open.

"Really?" Yoruichi asked, taken aback.

"No promises to get along with anyone," the Chinese girl stated, walking down the hallway, "But if he wants to get introduced, now's as good a time as any."

"Alright then!" the older girl said enthusiastically, like she'd secretly been hoping for that answer. "I'll try to keep Kisuke from driving you insane."

"Wonderful," Sui-Feng muttered, wondering if she was going to regret the decision.

* * *

"Didn't anyone ever tell you about speed limits?"

"I like to think of them more like guidelines."

The Chinese girl made a weird yell as they pulled around another corner, which sounded suspiciously like two swears mashed into a single word. Yoruichi didn't pay much heed though, as she swung her car past a slower vehicle. They were actually running a bit late, which might've been because she hadn't dragged herself out of bed on time – but really, there wasn't much point in playing the blame game. What mattered was being punctual, which required a slightly heavier foot than usual.

"Are we almost there?" Sui-Feng managed to say, in a rather subdued voice.

"Another few miles to go."

The younger girl didn't respond, but she seemed to hunker down lower in her seat, and was repeatedly mumbling the words 'never again'.

When they finally reached the destination, the older woman had to double-check the address she'd been given. The area didn't look like much, just a bunch of generic looking office building, and she seriously doubted that Kisuke was starting up a company. They were definitely at the right street, though, so she eased down the block, counting the building numbers as they went by.

"Are you kidding me..." her companion muttered, still hunched as low as she could sit in the car. Yoruichi didn't say anything, but was thinking along the same lines. The building they were looking for was conspicuously missing. There was an office to the left, and another to the right, but right in between was what appeared to be a an open alleyway. It was just like the slacker to ignore all semblance of conformity.

"Well, I suppose we're here..." she said, as she parked the car against the curb. "Might as well see what -"

For someone who was complaining about speed so much, the Chinese girl bailed out of the vehicle ridiculously fast, and propped herself up against a concrete wall, taking breaths so deep it seemed like she was nearly ready to throw up.

"Um, are you okay?" the older girl asked.

"Just...fine," Sui-Feng answered after recovering, looking over her shoulder to give an icy death-glare. A week ago, that would have warranted hiding behind the nearest solid object. Now, though, the hostility was oddly familiar – not that it was any less of a warning.

"Well, uh...shall we?"

Nodding her head solemnly, the younger girl started down the alley, looking like she was regretting the decision to come along. Yoruichi couldn't blame her; she'd been shocked that the girl had even agreed to the offer. It was true that they were getting along better, but considering where they'd started from, that wasn't saying very much. Aside from a number of sarcastic jokes, and a few even-tempered conversations, it was hard to definitively say they were even friendly with one another.

Then again, maybe this _was_ her idea of friendly, which would be somewhat unfortunate, to say the least.

"What the hell," Sui-Feng said suddenly, her voice completely deadpan as she looked around a corner. The older girl was still a few steps behind, but when she had caught up, her thoughts were almost exactly the same.

Nestled in between two concrete buildings was a tiny, wooden building, looking completely out of place with its surroundings. It was shabby and slightly dilapidated, which had to mean that the strange structure had been around for several years. The only acceptable explanation was that it had been randomly plucked up by a tornado and dropped down onto its current location, because there was no way that the place actually belonged there.

While the two women were busy being dumbfounded, four loud popping noises sounded off, drawing their attention away from the architectural eyesore.

"Welcome!" a set of four voices cried out in unison, as small bits of confetti flew into the air. Predictably, one belonged to a scruffy blond, who was bearing an incredibly goofy grin. The other three were much more surprising.

"Kisuke, don't tell me you roped Tessai into this?" Yoruichi asked. The tall, broad man was standing in a ridiculous pose, with his arms stretched out as if he was trying to be a gigantic, male cheerleader. Of course, he'd always had a knack for absurd behaviour.

"Nonsense. Master Urahara was providing me with his expert assistance," the large man stated in a booming voice. With his eyes covered by thick glasses, and his mouth hidden behind a massive moustache, it was impossible to read his expression. Of course, knowing him as long as she had, she was certain that he was completely serious.

"Of course he was..." she said in resignation. "Well, it's always nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Miss Shihoin."

"...okay, screw this," Sui-Feng announced abruptly, making her presence known, "I'm outta here."

The younger girl turned around, her brow furled like she was fighting a massive headache, and seemed ready to storm off. Yoruichi almost moved to stop her, but paused when she realized that she really didn't have a good reason to do so.

"Hey, is that the scary lady?" a young boy's voice called out. The Chinese girl immediately halted her stride, and turned her head back with an eyebrow raised.

"Jinta, that's not a very nice thing to say..." came a timid comment from a young girl, the fourth member of the welcoming party.

"Hey, who asked you!" the boy shouted out, taking hold of the girl's black pigtails and pulling on them violently. "That's what Mr. Urahara called he-"

His childish antics, and near fatal accusation, were quickly stopped as Kisuke picked the boy up into the air, covering his mouth.

"Now, now, no need to be spreading silly rumours about our guests," the young man said airily as he kept hold of the struggling child. Yoruichi glanced over to the girl beside her, whose eyes were narrowed. In terms of first impressions, this one could definitely have gone better.

"We've been waiting for your arrival. Would you like to come inside for tea?" Tessai asked out of the blue, seemingly ignoring any of the shenanigans occurring around him.

"That would be perfect!" Kisuke declared with a cheeky grin, dropping his hostage to the ground. The dark-skinned girl couldn't help but crack a smile; something about their strange antics always managed to amuse her. She looked over at her companion once again, who didn't seem nearly as entertained. She had a very nasty frown on her face, but was still rooted in her-half turned position, which at least meant that she wasn't planning on running off for the moment.

As if feeling the look, Sui-Feng glanced over, with a clearly sceptical expression. Not knowing how to give a decent answer, Yoruichi just shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine...let's get this over with," the Chinese girl decided, rolling her eyes and walking back toward the building.

* * *

"Is the tea to your liking?" the large man asked as he lifted his own cups to his lips.

"It's fine, thank you," Sui-Feng replied, taking a sip. The man was a bit odd, for lack of a better description, but seemed well-mannered and pleasant enough. So much so, that she found herself constantly forgetting that he was a larger man than Kenpachi. It was worth wondering if he would always be so mild mannered.

"I apologize for the children's behaviour. Jinta is often too excitable."

"It's...okay," she answered, wondering where the brat had run off to. Both he and the girl had vanished the moment they'd entered the store. Yoruichi and 'Master Urahara' had wandered off as well, mentioning a tour of the tiny building. If it wasn't for their supposed sexual incompatibility, she would have suspected that the two had sneaked off to start making out. The more likely explanation, in this case, was that her roommate was trying to avoid some conflict, and left her alone with the most sensible person to talk with. It wasn't very comfortable, knowing that people thought of her like a fuse waiting to be lit, but she really did bring it upon herself.

"So, your name is Tessai?" she asked, trying her best to make small talk.

"Yes, it's is Tessai Tsukabishi," he said proudly, though she wasn't sure why.

"And how do you know..."

"The young miss?" he asked, and she nodded. "I served her parents for many years. When they passed away, I acted as her guardian for several more, until her relatives chose to take her under their own care."

Being a butler definitely explained the serious and proper attitude. It also explained why Yoruichi had such an amicable relationship with the older man; he had probably been her favourite caretaker, by far.

"So, I guess you've known her for awhile," she commented idly, taking another sip of her tea.

"Since she was born, it has been my honour to watch her grow into a fine lady," he said with a measure of pride. Sui-Feng was doubtful that his evaluation was very accurate, but didn't voice her thoughts. "Though, I must say that it gives me great pleasure to see her finally choosing to settle down with a capable young woman like yourself-"

The Chinese girl choked on her drink, coughing violently.

"My apologies," he said, shifting his thick glasses, "It's seems I have come to the wrong conclusion."

"Completely wrong," she sputtered out.

"So you are not in a relationship with the young miss?"

"No!" she stated vehemently.

"How unfortunate. When Master Urahara suggested that the young miss would be bringing a female guest to introduce, I must have received the wrong impression."

"I might have to speak with 'Master Urahara' about this, then," she said, grating her teeth a little. She hadn't even met the guy properly yet, and she already had a distinct dislike of him.

"Nevertheless, it always a pleasure to meet friends of Miss Shihoin."

She almost corrected him again, but bit her tongue this time. It seemed almost absurd to consider it, but 'friend' was probably an apt description of their relationship right now. They actually got along, at least in the sense that they weren't rushing to avoid one another. And, all things considered, here she was, meeting the woman's old butler and caretaker. That probably qualified them as something slightly higher than acquaintances, as hard as it was to admit.

"So why is it _Master_ Urahara, but only _Miss_ Shihoin?" she asked, trying to shift the conversation away from her social standing with the rich girl. "I thought you worked for her family?"

"The young miss refused to be addressed by anything more formal. She was quite adamant about it," he said, with a nostalgic tinge to her voice. "As for the young master, he has provided me much assistance over the years. In fact, this establishment was aided greatly by his efforts."

Sui-Feng wasn't entirely sure what the place had gained from a guy barely in his twenties. It definitely wasn't the most polished workmanship she'd ever seen. Glancing around, there wasn't a whole lot to see in the small sitting room, but a few shelves and cabinets held some odd trinkets and objects.

"What exactly is this store?" she asked with curiosity.

"A novelty store, with handcrafted goods," Tessai stated proudly.

"You made these yourself?" she inquired, eyeing a toy that was close to her.

"Each and every one."

"That's fairly impressive," she said earnestly. It must have taken a lot of work to stock an entire store, even if it was one this small.

"Your words are much too kind!" the large man suddenly cried out ecstatically. Looking over at him, she saw that tears had suddenly started streaming down his face, looking like he'd just received the highest praise imaginable. Feeling a little unnerved, Sui-Feng edged backwards, hoping the awkward moment would pass quickly.

* * *

"Scary lady, huh?"

"Well, I thought it was appropriate at the time," Kisuke said with an attempted innocent look on his face.

"Is that so?" Yoruichi asked with a smirk, "Sounds more like you putting a foot in the grave."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. She'll forgive me for a little comment like that...won't she?"

She highly doubted it. In fact, she was half-expecting the girl to plant a foot in the goofballs face at any moment. Hopefully her mood hadn't soured too much, and Tessai had managed to keep her sitting for a good long while.

The guided tour of the tiny building really was just a flimsy excuse, but Yoruichi really was curious about the place. Tessai had always mentioned wanting a place of his own, especially with the kids in his care, but she hadn't really expected him to set up shop. As she wandered around the store front, her eyes were wandering along everything packed onto the racks and shelves. There were some normal stuff, like snack foods and everyday accessories. However, the vast majority of goods looked like custom made stuff.

"So, I suppose you two really _are_ hitting it off now," the young man commented. He was sitting at the front counter, flipping through a magazine that he probably wasn't even reading.

"Meaning what?"

"For her to follow you _all_ the way over here, that has to mean something special," he said. As always, there seemed to be an underlying message hidden in his tone.

"If I remember correctly, _you_ were the one giving her the invitation."

"Didn't actually expect her to show up though."

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure why it was such a big deal. Well, no, she did see why. She just didn't know why it was a big deal for anyone that hadn't been living in a hazard zone for several weeks.

"Well, it surprised me too," she murmured. "So, you really helped Tessai set this place up?"

"Of course," he stated matter-of-factly.

"And how did he actually manage to rope you into all of this?"

"Hmm? What an odd accusation to make!" he exclaimed, with a funny gleam in his eyes, "Are you suggesting that I wouldn't help a dear old friend in need?"

"I can't see you getting off your butt unless you got something juicy out of it."

"Now, now, Yoruichi," he said, waggling his fingers, "It sounds like you have no faith in your most valued buddy. I assure you that it was purely out of the kindness of my own heart, and that free use of the wide, spacious basement for my personal tinkering is completely gratuitous."

She laughed at that, knowing full-well the mayhem that Kisuke could cause. Still, it was nice of him to lend a hand, even if his motives were completely abnormal.

"How are the kids doing?" she asked. They had always been a pair of troublemakers, Jinta more so than Ururu, but Tessai was fond of them. She could hear them playing outside, with the boy's barely audible yells reaching her ears.

"As energetic as always. Tried to get them to help paint the shop, but most of it ended up in Ururu's hair."

"Sounds like the usual, then."

Taking another look at the store's stock, she started to notice how many oddities were lining the shelves. The bunny-headed Pez dispensers seemed average enough, though they were clearly made with Tessai's tastes in mind. The candies next to them, though, were much more peculiar.

"Seaweed and tapioca?" she asked sceptically, picking up one of the packages.

"The next big thing, I'm sure of it!" the young man answered confidently.

"I hope you're not doing Tessai's market planning," she commented, beginning to realize how much of his quirks were showing in the products.

"Now, now Yoruichi. I hope you're not insulting my brilliant business mind."

She rolled her eyes, but still smiled in spite of her misgivings. No matter how off-the-wall Kisuke's ideas were, they usually managed to turn out well...eventually. Hopefully there wouldn't be too much grief before then.

A light knocking on the front door made them both look over, as little Ururu peeked inside timidly.

"I'm sorry for interrupting...but...is Raku in here?" the little girl asked in a quiet voice.

"Raku?" Yoruichi asked, looking over at her friend.

"Some stray they took in," Kisuke answered, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen the little pest in awhile."

"He ran off...and we can't find him..." Ururu said with a pout.

"Maybe he was just hungry, and ran off to the kitchen," the older girl suggested, and she headed off toward the back rooms. The animal hunt was also a convenient excuse to check on her two other associates. Hopefully it was unnecessary, but it was better to be safe than sorry. When she reached the sitting room, she briefly considered knocking politely, but impulsively decided to take the occupants by surprise. Whipping the door open, she was inexplicably shocked to find...two people politely sipping tea.

"Welcome back Yoruichi," Tessai greeted her, "Has your tour concluded already?"

"Uh, yeah," she answered, unsure if the peaceful atmosphere was a good thing, or just strange. Sui-Feng was staring at her with a questioning expression, probably wondering why she'd burst into the room so suddenly.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" the older man asked.

"Um...no, I was looking for Raku," she said, remembering why she'd stopped by. The Chinese girl gave her another confused look, which was completely understandable.

"The pet the children have been caring for," Tessai supplied helpfully, "I have not seen him around. Perhaps we should look for him?"

Yoruichi just shrugged her shoulders, but Sui-Feng got to her feet almost immediately, as if she was anxious to move.

"Sounds like a good idea, let's go," the younger girl said, hurriedly leaving the room.

* * *

"You got out of there fast."

"It was getting...awkward," Sui-Feng murmured. The man was polite enough, but he was overly emotional about the strangest things. She wasn't very good at handling crying people, let alone a grown man sobbing over his handcrafts.

"Oh. Well, I guess Tessai can be a little too forward, sometimes," Yoruichi replied nonchalantly.

The two girls were wandering around outside the small shop, halfheartedly looking for the runaway animal. The dumb pet would probably come running back home anyway, even without a search party. With the Chinese girl's luck, they probably _would_ find it, and it would turn out to be a big, slobbering bulldog. At the very least, it gave the her an opportunity to get some fresh air, and get away from uncomfortable talk with people she hardly knew. However, why she had company was another question entirely.

"You know, I don't need you to babysit me," she said to the older girl.

"Oh? Maybe I just like your cheerful disposition," Yoruichi answered cheekily, which got her an annoyed glare in return, "Yeah, yeah. I wasn't sure if we'd get two runaways today. Plus I'm not sure how you are with pets."

"Gee, thanks for the concern," Sui-Feng said wryly, "Your buddies haven't scared me off yet. And I'm not planning on kicking any puppies any time soon."

"Well, guess that's good to know. So, what do you think?"

"Of the store?"

"Pft, please. Even I think it's a bit of a loony bin. I meant the goofs running it."

"...Well, I guess I didn't expect anything different," she answered, opening up a trashcan and peering inside; it was probably a better place to find vermin than a pet, though.

The older girl laughed at the vague answer. "Meaning what?"

"The kids are kids. Your old butler seems nice enough," Sui-Feng said, then gave her companion a cockeyed look, "Just tell your buddy that the 'scary lady' holds grudges."

That earned another bout of laughter,

"You know, you sure laugh at me a lot."

"I'm just getting used to your dry sense of humour," the older girl said with a wink. Rolling her eyes, the Chinese girl just continued with her lazy searching.

"What the hell _is_ Raku, anyway?" she asked, realizing she didn't know a thing about the animal they were looking for.

"I'unno, never seen the fur ball before."

"Great...we're probably looking for a ten foot python."

"At least you'd make a good snack for him."

"Har har."

Sui-Feng approached a couple of beaten up cardboard boxes, attempting to flip them with her feet, when one of them shook, giving her a start.

"Well, there's your hungry snake."

"Or a nest of rats..."

Tentatively, the Chinese girl bent over and slowly opened the top flaps of the box, peering inside. Fortunately, rabid rodents were nowhere to be found, as a small, orange cat peered out at her with bright green eyes. Happily surprised, Sui-Feng reached inside and picked the feline up with her hands.

"Hello there," she said smilingly, peeking closely at the animals collar, where the word 'Raku' was engraved. The cat, most likely curious about the strange person picking him up, mewed softly, and tried to bat at her nose, making her giggle uncharacteristically.

"Well, well," Yoruichi suddenly said, with a gleam in her eyes like she'd just discovered some fascinating secret, "I didn't take you for a cat person."

Sui-Feng suddenly squeaked, and started to blush deeply, realizing that she'd been caught acting like a child.

"Not. One. Word," she stated, but the threat wasn't nearly as effective when Raku found a braid to start swinging at.


	11. Making Changes

**Yup, it really is an update. No joke. At this rate, I might actually finish before the turn of next Century.**

**Sui-Feng's name is also proper now. I'll be revising it in all the previous chapters ASAP.**

* * *

Normally, a little early morning jostling wouldn't bother Yoruichi, and she would continue to doze in blissful ignorance. Lately, though, she seemed far more prone to being startled awake in the morning. Hence her mild annoyance when her morning slumber was interrupted by someone clambering out of her bed, rushing around in a panic. The words "I'm late" could be heard repeatedly, but she did her best to ignore it, still extremely reluctant to acknowledge that she was cognitive before the sun had fully risen. Her memory was still a little fuzzy from the sleepy stupor, and she couldn't quite remember the name of the girl who was running around in a tizzy. Something to do with a bird. Or maybe it was a fish. It didn't seem very relevant at the moment, either way.

Continuing to play possum, she heard the girl hurriedly gathering her things up, making a surprising amount of commotion, before running off to the front door, hopefully leaving behind some peace and quiet.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" came a startled squeak.

"Whatever...just let me through already," a much more familiar voice said in reply. The gruffness must have been terrifying, because the next few sounds were the very rapid pattering of someone running away.

"Yo, you awake in there!" Sui-Feng called out as the door closed behind her. "You've got some mail."

Groaning, Yoruichi pushed herself off the bed, finally giving up on a lost cause. Grabbing a large shirt from her drawers, she quickly pulled it on to preserve a little modesty.

"Can't a girl get her beauty sleep anymore?" she whined as she stepped out of her room.

"Is that what you're calling it now?" the Chinese girl said sarcastically. She was sifting through a stack of envelopes in one hand, with a pillow resting under her other arm.

"Har, har," the older said in mock laughter, stretching her arms up as she yawned off the cobwebs. The movement probably lifted her shirt dangerously close to exhibitionist zone, but the other girl wasn't even paying attention...and undoubtedly didn't even care. "You know, you don't have to sleep out in the hall every time I've got company."

"Trust me, I do. Besides, the carpet out there isn't actually that bad."

"...I don't want to know what you're using for comparison."

"Best that you don't," Sui-Feng deadpanned. Apparently finding nothing of interest, she handed over the stack of mail. It was mostly just utility bills and junk mail.

"Expecting something?"

"Not really. Would be worried if there _was_ something for me...always a sign of bad things to come," she answered, making Yoruichi smile. She was probably serious, but there was still something humorous about it.

"Well, since I'm up, want some breakfast?"

"Can't, got class," she replied, walking into the living room to get changed for the day, "Oh, right. Won't be back until later tonight, sorry if I interrupt something."

"Oh?" the older girl intoned, with a little intrigue, "Got a hot date tonight?"

A light scoffing was heard from the other room, laced with a hint of disgust. It wasn't too surprising; the girl seemed far too serious to even consider a love life. "Hardly. Just a friend I haven't seen in a while asking for a favour."

"Hmm, funny coincidence, 'cause that's what I've got planned too."

"Well...have fun with that, then," her roommate said, reappearing in the hallway with a fresh set of clothes and her pack for the day.

"I'll try. Have a good day," she said cheerily. The girl just grunted in response and left. With several unexpected hours of free time, Yoruichi figured she should get a start on her own day, and headed to the bathroom to get tidied up.

* * *

A quick knock on the door in front of her, and Sui-Feng was already regretting the visit that she'd been half-dreading all day long. It wasn't that she was reluctant to see a friend, just that this particular friend had a knack for making people detest any encounter with him, regardless of relation. She was even considering running from the doorstep, but unfortunately for her, he was much too quick to respond, and the door swung wide almost instantly.

"Well now, look who finally dragged herself over," he greeted in a confident, yet utterly infuriating tone that he had all but mastered.

"Yumichika," she answered gruffly. He'd barely changed since the last time she'd seen him; strangely effeminate, without a mark or hair out of place, yet constantly surrounded in a smug arrogance that clashed with image and enhanced it at the same time. He apparently still kept his hair in the same ridiculous style, cut short down to his chin and adorned with long, gaudy feathers. He probably spent hours in front of the mirror just to make sure that every strand was perfectly straight. Narcissism was his middle name, and he wasn't afraid to flaunt it.

It was odd to think that they would ever get along, and yet that's what happened through all of high school. Yumichika Ayasegawa was a lot rougher than his appearances let on, and it was through some mutual slacking and trouble-making that they'd first become acquainted. Birds of a feather, it seemed.

"Well, don't just stand there wasting time," he said, "Get in here already."

As grating as always. She stepped into the small flat, immediately noting that the walls and floors were scuffed and dented more than would be expected from such an aesthetic perfectionist. It was, without a doubt, the influence of the house's other resident.

"So where's Ikkaku hiding?" Sui-Feng asked.

"Oh, the usual, running whatever odd jobs he's found. Honestly, why bother having a roommate when he can't even pay his half of the rent?" Yumichika whined idly, which made her smile. Despite his complaints, the two boys had been practically attached at the hip all through school. They were an odd pair, for sure, but were so compatible with each other that she'd often felt like a weird third wheel. Ikkaku Madarame had a lot more in common with her, with the same lack of emphasis on niceties and propriety, except he had an extremely strong aversion to anything related to work.

"And speaking of odd jobs," he said, "I haven't heard a peep from _you _since graduation. Just what has our little worker bee been up to?"

"I've been busy. School. Work. You know," she stated simply. Technically true, but she'd also been a little ashamed to phone up friends when things were in the dumps.

"Yet not to busy to hand out my number to all those nice men you met – and one woman, I might add," he joked. She chuckled, being reminded of all those people she'd tricked. It had started out as a silly prank they'd pulled back in their junior, but ended up having much more practical uses.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Oh, no, it was quite amusing, and a little way of knowing you were still alive out there. Although, next time, it might be nice to find you without chasing along the grapevine."

"Right...how did you track me down, anyway?"

"Quite easily. I asked if anyone had seen a short, violent, Chinese girl. It's amazing how memorable you manage to be."

Sui-Feng sighed a little at that; it wasn't a very flattering reputation, but at least people remembered her. Regardless of how, Yumichika managed to find her, and in the course of their brief reunion, topics quickly wandered to favours she could do for him, as they often tended to do. In spite of his eccentricities, though, his requests were usually simple enough, and it wasn't like she didn't owe him. Either way, that's why she was here right now.

"Here we are, all set up for you," the young man stated jovially, motioning to a plain stool that was sitting in the middle of a rather worn down living room, "Now sit down so I can see what I'm working with."

"No mirror?" she asked, immediately noting that there was no way of seeing the kind of damage he would be inflicting.

"And ruin the surprise of my masterpiece?" he questioned, in a tone that was much more pompous than it was teasing. "I don't have all day, you know. Let's get on with this."

Sighing, the Chinese girl complied, taking a seat. Like an artist testing his canvas, Yumichika immediately took hold of one of her braids, studying them with intense scrutiny.

"Just what have you done to them?" he exclaimed, like he'd just discovered his own murdered children, "Every end is split - and I didn't even know hair could get this dry! Don't you even use a conditioner?"

"I don't even know what you're talking about..." she said. His extreme obsession with aesthetics was always a mystery to her, but she still had a good idea what volunteering to be his guinea pig entailed. Judging from his reactions, her fears were completely justified.

He responded with an exaggerated sigh. "I suppose you always were clueless about such basic necessities. Looks like I have a lot of work to do here..."

* * *

Yoruichi was never a fan of fine dining. The waiters always wore this pretentious attitude, the rooms were too dimly lit to see anything except the people across the table, and the food was overly showy, like it was designed to be talked about rather than eaten. Then again, maybe she was a tad biased about it. Most of her experiences with upper class cuisine was as a young girl, getting dolled up in uncomfortable, ostentatious clothing to meet stodgy, old business men. It was difficult to enjoy herself when she'd been scolded for fidgeting, or for forgetting which fork to use, or for calling an investor "funny looking". Nevertheless, in spite of all her hatred for fancy restaurants, here she was again, dressed up in an expensive dress, make-up on, all to look presentable for someone dryer than a desert. To his credit, at least he wasn't old.

"The coming merger does not sit well with many members of the board," the young man in front her said. Most women would probably consider him handsome, with his sharply defined features, long black hair and air of nobility. Up close though, it was hard to find him looking anything except business.

"And I suppose the Kuchiki family is one of them," she said, sighing as she shifted the food around her plate. Byakuya Kuchiki was an old acquaintance of hers, the son and heir of a major investor in her father's former company. They'd been introduced several years ago, almost with the explicit intent of having them bred off like cattle. She'd obviously been opposed to the idea, and Byakuya, at the very least, had the decency of feeling likewise. They'd never gotten along well enough to be friends, but at the very least, he was astute enough to be tolerable.

"I hope you didn't invite me all the way here just to tell me that. You, of all people, should know that I don't have a say in the company's decisions," she said, taking a bite of her overly decadent meal, "Or maybe you had alternative alternative motives, inviting a beautiful young woman from your past to a candlelit dinner."

"Need I remind you that I am married," he said, not rising to her bait. It wasn't surprising, since he hadn't even touched his own plate. The dinner invitation was clearly just a formality for him.

"You're such a spoilsport."

"You still retained a sizable number of shares in your departure. Enough to tip the balance in the coming vote."

That little detail had been Kisuke's idea; sell enough of her daddy's stock to lose company control, but keep just enough to pull some favours should the need arise. It was a plan that had mostly backfired, with more than a few shareholders trying to curry her favour for support in tight voting situations. Case in point...

"I doubt that would sit well with your colleagues, Byakuya," Yoruichi said wryly, "I can already imagine the outrage when the fallen princess interferes with business she doesn't belong in."

"Then perhaps it is time for you to become reacquainted with your inheritance," he said. She had to give him a second look over, to see if he was actually trying to make a joke. As usual, though, his face looked completely serious. "Many of us still remember the company under the Shihion name...and think such familiarity would inspire confidence again."

"And I suppose the Kuchiki family is one of them?" she said, echoing her earlier statements. He didn't reply. "Well, you'll have to find some other distant relative to drag into this mess. All things considered, I'm far too much of a black sheep to reassure any of you bigwigs."

"I am well aware of your public image. Just as I am aware that, in spite of all your posturing, you have done a remarkable job of avoiding controversy that would connect your name to your past," Byakuya stated, "Your aptitude for subtlety has not gone completely unnoticed, Yoruichi Shihoin."

"Well, it seems you've been keeping tabs on me," she said indignantly, "I didn't know you were so enamoured with me."

"I am merely capable of reading between the lines. Your separation from your legacy did not stop you from being a liability, and accounts have been kept in regards to your actions. I suspect you knew this as well, which is why you have gone through such lengths to appear so unambitious and vain."

"You certainly think you have me figured out, don't you?" she said, bristling. For once, she actually understood the subdued lighting in the restaurant – it made confrontations much more private. "I think you've been hanging around your business partners too long, Byakuya, not everyone hides behind a mask. I've already gotten free of the corporate politics once, and I have no intention of living the rest of my life in that shadow."

"Then, my apologies for offending you, and for wasting your time," he said, gracefully stepping back.

"That's it?" she said, surprised that the conversation had ended so abruptly. Not that she didn't appreciate it, but she'd expected a much lengthier attempt to sway her.

"As I said, Yoruichi Shihoin, I am capable of reading between the lines. Nor do I personally have a vested interested in your future endeavours. I made an agreement to speak with you, not to convince you."

She chuckled a little at that, her mood settling down again - he was still as sharp as she'd remembered. "As forthright as always, Byakuya. Well then, what exactly _is_ the opinion of the Kuchiki heir?"

"Whatever you choose makes no difference to me. The Shihoin name barely retains importance beyond the shares you still hold, and will matter even less once the merger has been signed."

"And in no time at all, I'd just fade away..."

"Perhaps," Byakuya answered. He pushed his chair away from the table, and rose to his feet gracefully. "I have already paid the bill. Please enjoy the rest of your meal."

"Leaving so soon?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not very polite to walk out on a dinner date."

"There is nothing left to discuss," he said. "And it seems prudent to leave a wrong impression. I am, after all, a married man meeting with a beautiful woman from my past."

"Hmm? Is that a hint of sarcasm I'm hearing from our Kuchiki heir?" she noted playfully, "It seems Hisana's been a good influence on you. Give her my best."

He gave a slight nod, and walked away, leaving her with plenty to think over.

* * *

There was something oddly intriguing about ceilings. It was an odd observation to make, but it was the only solid conclusion that Yoruichi had managed to come up with in the hour she'd spent lying on her couch. She was still wearing her gaudy dress, not bothering to change out of it when she got back from the restaurant, being a little too distracted. Byakuya had certainly opened up a number of possibilities, and none of them were simple matters to think about. The most intriguing option was, of course, to sever all ties with her father's old company. She'd be lying to say that the finality of the decision didn't intrigue her, and there was something appealing about her own name having more weight than her family's.

Of course, that was the immature side of her voicing its opinion. The "spoiled princess", as a certain someone worded it, wanting to flip off a few ancient geezers one last time. Not exactly the best business plan, by any means.

"Argh!" she exclaimed in exasperation. She didn't even like thinking about corporate politics in the first place. In the past, she'd just asked Kisuke for advice on being as disruptive as possible, and Kuukaku on how to piss off as many people as she could. Neither seemed very relevant at the moment.

As her mind started to wander around the track yet again, she heard the door to the apartment unlock, and sat up, welcoming the diversion.

"Dammit, these things keep getting in the way," Sui-Feng could be heard angrily muttering in the doorway. It might as well have been her way of saying hello. "Trust the twit to turn it into a modern art show..."

"Welcome back," Yoruichi called out, amusedly wondering what her roommate was ranting about this time.

"Hey," the Chinese girl said simply, walking into the room, pausing for a moment with a confused expression. "...what's with the dress?"

The older girl laughed, realizing how odd it probably looked for her to be lazing about in an outfit that was likely worth more than the girl's paycheck. "I figured I should get some more mileage out of it. You like?"

"Wouldn't fit me," she answered sarcastically as she walked past, heading for the bathroom, her hands fiddling with something over her shoulder.

"I meant on me, you dope."

"Care even less about that."

Yoruichi wasn't expect a compliment; it would be almost unheard of. It was still fun to try and tease one out of the grump, though. Looking over to try and see what was bugging the girl this time, she noticed something that her eyes had glossed over the first time.

"Whoa there, hold up," she said suddenly. Sui-Feng turned around, questioning what the matter was. "Looks like you got a hair cut."

"If that's what you call this," the younger girl said, sneering. She apparently didn't like the change very much.

"Aw, c'mon, how bad can it be. Let me take a look."

"Don't see what the big deal is..."

"It's a girl thing. Now get over here," Yoruichi demanded cheerfully. Rolling her eyes, her roommate complied nonetheless, taking a few steps back to the couch...which didn't exactly make her hair any more viewable. "Gonna have to get closer that that. No need to be shy."

Sui-Feng finally plopped herself down on the armrest with a deep sigh, her back turned, almost like she was sulking – which would be completely, totally impossible. Now that her hair was in plain site, it had clearly been trimmed down, the majority of it resting barely above her chin, as opposed to the wildly long strands that they'd been before. However, several locks hadn't been cut at all, preserving the twin braids that fell down below her waist. They'd been tidied up and decorated, though, now wrapped in thin ribbons of white cloth, with shiny gold rings tied at the end of each. All-in-all, it was definitely an imaginative look.

"I think it looks cute," the older girl said, lifting up one of the braids for closer inspection.

"More like a massive pain. You think I have time to do this every day? And it'll be worse if I don't...that ass probably planned it that way."

"If you really hate it so much, you could always get him to fix it."

"No chance in hell of that. He'll probably say I'm 'desecrating the beauty' of it, or some crap like that. Probably go ballistic if I get someone else to change it, too..."

Yoruichi couldn't help being amused at the situation. Personally, she liked the hair style, but what was even more interesting was hearing the other girl complain about it. It was probably the closest thing to normal teenage whining she'd heard from Sui-Feng – and she didn't even need to pull out a kitty cat to get it.

"Well, think of all the fun it could be then. I could do your hair up every morning – it'll be just like playing dress up!" she said in a sickeningly-sweet tone. The Chinese girl made an appropriate gagging noise, and stood up abruptly, heading to the bathroom once again, now that her head had been thoroughly examined.

"Okay then, try thinking about the opportunity then," the older girl suggested, "A brand new look can give you a brand new start!"

"Is that some symbolic bullshit? It's just a damn haircut. Not like anything else has changed," Sui-Feng replied petulantly, closing the door behind her.

"...yeah. Guess it hasn't," Yoruichi murmured whimsically to herself.


End file.
